Psycho
by Tess 4 5
Summary: LAST CHAPTER IS NO PART OF THE STORY! This story is called Psycho and it's some sort of romance. A weird piece of writing and please don't expect anything like the well-known equally named film(s)! I try a summary: disturbing dreams, long conversations with her best friend Angela, a psychotherapist, dramatic events in London, a fantastic ending.
1. Gone With The Wind

**Usual notes and disclaimer:** I don't own any of the original characters nor the original Inspector Lynley Mysteries – they belong to Elizabeth George and the BBC. I have borrowed the characters from the TV-Show and solely own the ideas of _my_ stories and the developments _I've_ let them go through.

I also like to add that I don't own any rights on the films or tv shows or books which titles I use here as story and/or chapter titles. In the stories I don't refer to the originals in any way. The entire story has nothing to do with the Hitchcock film or with the Robert Bloch book Psycho.

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Please write a PM if I did something terribly wrong. Thanks!

Please read and review! More thanks!

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 **Author's notes:** This story is called Psycho and it's some sort of romance. A weird piece of writing. Summary useless but please don't expect anything like the well-known equally named film!

Enjoy it!

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 **Gone With The Wind**

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Her long red hair was waving in the wind. She had let it be curled this morning but that had been all. Her cheeks did not need any of the posh rouge the maid had wanted to put on them for the fresh wind let them blush on their own. Her arms were snaked around the torso of the muscular man in front of her. Tight white riding breeches, black leather boots, naked upper body - his dark hair had grown since she last had seen him and now it was fluttering almost like hers. He had had no time to dress properly when she had surprised him at the trough where he had splashed water across his chest after he had cleaned the stables. He did not need to, he had staff doing it for him. He was the Earl of this estate, he did not need to do anything but attending functions and hosting balls.

Like he would this evening. That was why she was here. And a few moments ago she only had wanted to show him her evening gown, light pastel green, off-the-shoulder, tight-laced corset, long and ample skirts and a few puffy underskirts. He had been so overwhelmed that he just had taken her by her waist, lifted her onto the unsaddled stallion and climbed it himself in front of her. Then they were galloping across the meadows to the cliffs at the Cornish sea until they had reached a soft hollow where he pulled her from the horse and into a close hug. They were safe from the wind that was caught in the thick gorse at the cliff.

"Barbara!" he desperately panted.

She was not able to answer because his lips were on hers in an instant. The crying sounds of seagulls who surfed the wind above them filled the air.

"Oh, Lord!" she finally sighed when his hands already had made quick work with the lacing in the back of her corset, which had turned a bit loose anyway during the wild ride across the green land.

Tentatively he helped her out of that garment and continued with her skirts which would serve as a mattress against the nature underneath. The Lord gently helped her onto the grass and stood before her, slowly opening the buttons of his breeches.

Barbara had to avert her eyes. Of course she knew what would follow. And of course she knew what she would be seeing in an instant but her little brother's physique or that of few other men was one thing, having the love of your life presenting himself was another.

Tommy came to lay down next to her and she felt with her hands that he was totally naked. She avoided the really important areas though he always tried to turn those parts of his body in her direction while he kissed her senses away. He took his time to peel her from the rest of the cloth around her body until they both were naked and eager to feel all of the other one's skin.

When Barbara finally lost the last decent restraint they explored each other under the open sky on the cliffs of Nanrunnel, hearing and feeling the salty wind blowing across their little sheltered hollow, only the crying seagulls as their witnesses. Four hands roamed skin, ruffled hair, stroked sensitive parts and touched delicate areas. Pantings increased, sighs turned into moans, heated bodies slid across sweaty wet skin, fingers dug into flesh.

She was ready now. He had been for a while.

"Oh, Barbara, my dearest, I want you so much."

"Do as you wish, your Lordship. I'm all yours."

"This moment will change our lives forever."

"Oh, it will..." She felt a strong soldier standing at attention on the entrance to her secret cave and knew that this was the moment she had craved for so long. He lifted his hip.

NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW-NEE-NAW

A coach arrived, painted like a Metropolitain Police car and with electrical beacons and a siren blaring louder and louder while the coach came nearer. There were no horses drawing it and the coachman whipped only air.

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Barbara sat up with a start. She was in her own bed in her flat in London. Alone, of course. Outside the window an ambulance vehicle waited to carry her poor neighbour into hospital.

Moaning in annoyance she slumped back onto her pillow. This had not been the first of those dreams but by far the most crazy and disappointing one. Trying to find sleep again she listened to the sound of the wind in the mingy city-trees in front of her house.

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 **A/N:** Yes, definitely, I've had fits of laughter and giggled all the time when I wrote this piece of penny dreadful. Sorry for that - it's awful, isn't it?! You should be glad I haven't prolonged it like I first had wanted to :-D And if you think that I've gone crazy - I've done so a long time ago! But isn't this the title to this story? Psycho! *grins*

Please hang on!


	2. Sleepy Hollow

**Author's notes:** I hope you have recovered from the previous chapter! I'm sorry to disappoint some of you, but it doesn't look like I'm sneaking into Tommy's dreams and it also doesn't look like it turns into a Scarlett (or Rhett) story ;-)

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 **Sleepy Hollow**

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A few days later after another long hard day of work, the third in a row with too less sleep at home, Barbara sat at her desk and typed in some facts on the case that they were working on. She was continually yawning and almost fell asleep but then Lynley barked her into her office.

"Oh, nooo, not again..." she groused on her way, earning a cheeky smirk from Winston.

Once inside his Lordship's office she found herself being offered a cup of coffee. He motioned for her to sit down on the small settee.

"You're working too hard lately, Barbara." he softly reproached her and raised an eyebrow at her brave response.

"That's rich, coming from you. You're here when the last of us leaves and you're here when the first comes around in the morning. We're already thinking that you're sleeping here."

"I'm not. This small settee is not really comfortable to sleep on."

"Oh, I think it is soft enough." Barbara said wriggling a deeper hollow into the cushions with her bottom. "Though laying down wouldn't be easy for me too."

Lynley harrumphed. "You're a much smaller person than me, Barbara, you could easily lay down there comfortably."

"Bollocks, Sir." She tried to demonstrate that it would be an awkward position and laid down. "See?"

They stared at each other. She could see him swallowing hard. Then he suddenly knelt before her. "You don't know what you are doing with all that wriggling to that old and tired man that's me, Barbara, do you?" He was breathing hard and grabbed her hands before he crushed his lips onto hers.

Barbara did not really know how she had come into a sitting position but somehow they eventually sat next to each other, still kissing desperately, hands still linked.

"Oh, Barbara, my dearest, I want you so much." he breathed onto her lips. Where has she heard that before? The thought was wiped away when his hands slipped under her shirt and tingled on the naked skin of her waist.

"We shouldn't do that here, Tommy." were her last decent words.

He reassured her that nobody would dare to enter without permission so they kept on kissing like teenagers sitting in the last row of a cinema.

It probably had been too long ago that she had done it at all, and it had been too long that she wanted to do it with this man. Barbara's mind obviously was shut down almost completely. In a far corner of her mind something told her that she should not go on but the roaring fire of emotions inside her entire body was too loud to let the little background voice make her stop.

One thing led to the other and in no time they had desperately undressed each other. Barbara was sitting in his lap, ready to join with him. His head laid on the backrest of the settee, his hands were placed on her hip and his eyes were closed. He was about to push his groin upwards when the door suddenly went open.

"Barbara! Here you are. Relaxing a bit, huh? I thought as much." Winston came into Lynley's office and waved a file through the air. He seemed to be totally unaffected by that scene in front of his eyes. Even Lynley only had opened his eyes but made no moves to cover their nudity. He did not even made the slightest attempt to kick him out of his office. He just listened to Winston's words.

"Hey, young lady, attention please!" the Constable said a bit louder when Barbara did not react too and hit her head with the files.

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"Huh?!" Barbara's head jolted up. She still felt Winnie hitting her head with the thin manila folder.

"Barb! You can't fall asleep here! What if Lynley catches you?" Shaking his head Winnie dropped the folder on her desk where she had fallen asleep after a long hard day of work, the third in a row with too less sleep at home. Moaning frustrated (in oh so many ways) Barbara let her forehead fall back into the hollow she had left in the gel of the palmrest of her keyboard. These dreams are hard enough, she thought and she really could do without them when she was losing the fight against a nap in the late office hours.

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 ***author skids off her sofa with laughter*** Oh, umm... sorry... :-D Of course they wouldn't do _that_ in his office! At least not without making sure that the others have gone home and not at all without locking the door! ;-)


	3. Home Improvement

**Author's notes:** At Cats: She's having a few...

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 **Home Improvement**

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In the end they had solved the case and everyone was rewarded with a Friday off. Barbara had planned to stay at home the entire weekend. She needed to mend one of the drawers in her kitchen and, much more important, she had do do her laundry. Plus, and this was the most important thing, she needed proper sleep, quality time for herself and simply a bit of quiet peace.

And no more dreams please.

Thursday evening she even had declined the after work pint with Winnie and Lynley and had returned home straight after the debriefing. She had planned to sleep in on Friday thus she had turned off her mobile. Since she was not on call she had forgotten to turn it on the entire next day. She had been to the DIY store, bought everything she needed, and after a quick dinner she had opted for a luxurious bottle of red wine, cheap salty crisps and a stupid weepie on the telly. Barbara knew that she probably would fall asleep on her sofa so she already made it comfy with her pillow and her duvet and changed into sleepwear before she dropped down in her soft nest.

Of course she had fallen asleep on her sofa. On the next morning the doorbell woke her up. It was Lynley who had tried to call her but her mobile still was off.

"Morning, Barbara." He praised her funny but very short sleep wear and sized her up from head to toe with a smile. He looked like he almost had whistled. "Anyway. Umm... we need to appear at the office. DI Laurel came down with mumps - yes, that was my reaction too." He grinned while he followed her into her kitchen. Barbara needed a coffee first and only then was she able to think clear. Or make proper conversation.

"Well, and DI Roberts had a car crash. Nothing serious but it put him out of service for a while. Since everybody else is more than busy with their own cases we were the one to be called. Well, or picked up at home."

She offered him a cup of coffee and while they stood perched on the worktop in a right angle sipping at their hot beverages Lynley already gave away the few details he already knew of the case. Apart from that he poked fun at her that she still had to mend that stubborn drawer which simply refused to stay in its cabinet and always rolled out. Which looked funny indeed.

A few words were exchanged about doing things on one's own and the benefits of hiring a professional. Barbara felt his eyes again dropping down below the hem of her shorts and wondered where his mind actually was. Obviously not really following their conversation. She placed her empty coffee mug on the worktop at the same time he placed his there. Of course their fingers brushed and he took the chance to grab her hand.

"You should change into something more decent before we leave." He cleared his throat before he placed a soft kiss on the back of her hand.

Barbara was shocked about the cautiously hesitant desire she read into the look he gave her. Though she was even more shocked about her sassy reply. The shock on Lynley's face was only short and with one swift movement he had thrown his arms around her and pinned her against the furniture.

"You shouldn't say that, Barbara." He had hissed those words and then his lips hungrily sealed hers. She would not say anything for a while now. Instead she simply moaned when his nimble fingers finally had opened her pyjama top and cupped her breasts. Well, at least it was fast forward now after all those years.

His hips were pressing her body against the worktop and Barbara responded with her entire body. With every push the couple made against the worktop the drawer next to them came rolling out again. His hands had slid under her shorts and pushed them down now.

"I want you so much, Barbara!"

Somewhere inbetween he had kicked off his own slacks, she really did not know when or how, she only knew that his shirt was torn open by Barbara's impatient hands a few moments ago. She could feel his hardness pressing against her stomach when suddenly the egg timer in the cupboard went furious. _Who had set that bloody thing?_

The ringing grew louder and louder until the door sprang open and the ridiculous little thing jumped onto his shoulder, making a tap dance there with its sweet little duck feet. Angry at that dancing egg Lynley's hands left Barbara and he made a movement to get rid of the timer. Unfortunately Barbara lost her balance and slipped on some of the discarded garments.

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With a loud thud Barbara had slid to the floor and instantly woke up. Her legs were entangled in her duvet and somebody was furiously ringing her doorbell.

"Havers?" she heard Lynley shouting. "Barbara! Are you okay? Open the door or I'll break in!"

Quickly she opened the door. Despite their free weekend they obviously had to appear in the office.

"Your mobile is off!?" His eyes wandered downwards to the hem of her short pyjama bottoms and further on to her feet in tiger claw slippers. His ears turned a bit red but he kept his tongue.

"You should get dressed decently, Havers. Meanwhile I'll make you some coffee."

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 **A/N:** Sorry that you had to endure another dream...


	4. A Game Of Shadows

**Author's notes:** Those dreams are getting on your nerves? Guess how Barbara must be feeling...

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 **A Game of Shadows**

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The murder had turned out to be one of the unluckiest accidents and the multiple social entanglements around it were sad and pitiful but nothing a team of detectives had to follow up so after another week without a real case the entire team was exhausted again. Or better say they _still_ were exhausted. They closed the case on Thursday evening.

On Friday they had to catch up on some paperwork but the weather was too brilliant to spend the afternoon in an office. Lynley had asked her out for a coffee but Barbara had declined again with a thanks because she believed that she needed some distance from her boss or those dreams that haunted her never would stop. Unfortunately she had been too weak to also make excuses for the evening so when they parted they actually had a date for dinner.

"In jeans, if you like." Lynley laughed after her when she left the office for a lazy afternoon at home.

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At home she simply had wrapped herself in a soft blanket and with a pot of freshly brewed coffee, a bowl of ice cream from the supermarket, with a good dash of that sweet liquor she once had bought just because of its colour, and the historic novel she had started to read a few weeks ago she walked out into the little communal backyard of her house where she found a nice place for her old sunlounger in the galanty show of one of those mingy city-trees. As usual she was alone there. The ice cream was annihilated in no time and the historic novel would distract her for the rest of the afternoon. She should not think too much about the evening. Jeans, he had said, so that was what she would wear. No need to be thinking about proper clothes for a posh restaurant. And what about make-up?

She dwelled a while on that thought but then dismissed it too. She was not putting on make-up usually so why should she start now? She was going to have dinner with a friend. _A. Friend._

In the end it was jeans, a simple blouse and comfortable sneakers. She was ready before Lynley picked her up and it really was a nice restaurant he brought her to. They had been here before - even his posh Lordship had been in jeans and sneakers - so she did not need to adjust herself to new surroundings and the dinner went by in no time. They had talked about that previous non-case and filled the pauses with companionable silence.

Against all reason Barbara had agreed on a nightcap in his house afterwards. Since it had turned colder Lynley lit a fire in his study where he had stored his good drops. They talked about this and that, later nobody remembered clearly what it was.

It really was not important. The thing was that they sat on the leather sofa and imperceptibly came closer inch by inch until Barbara, meanwhile slightly tipsy since it was her third whisky, not to mention the two glasses of red wine at dinner, placed her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

"Sometime I just need a shoulder, Tommy." Apparently it was not that difficult to call him by his name.

"And sometimes I just need a woman who loves me for what I am." Tommy whispered.

"I do." Barbara also whispered and lifted her face to his. _Wow, that was easy as well._ she thought.

After a what seemed eternally long look into each other's eyes their lips met in a soft and gentle kiss but there were too many hidden desires, too much suppressed need, too many pent up emotions to keep the kiss on that tender level. It heated up quickly, it went furious, desirous, desperate. Their limbs entangled, their bodies met, both skidded down the smooth surface of the leather sofa and finally rolled around on the soft polar bear fur in front of the fireplace. Shaky hands opened shirts and blouses, wet lips tasted cleavages and muscular shoulders, impatient groins searched for friction on their counterparts.

"I want you, Barbara!" She liked to hear it over and over again. "I really want you. I want you so badly."

The fire next to them was growing and lit the glistening pearls of sweat on their skins with its yellowish light. It turned warmer and warmer, hotter and hotter. Barbara laid flush on the floor, Tommy between her legs, his arms next to her head, his forehead against hers, his lips drinking hers in little sips, his breath hot on her face.

"Tommy!" she breathed and geared up for their soon-to-be joint. In the meantime the fire had grown enormously huge without leaving its place. Sweat was dripping from their faces in little streams. The red and orange light of the fire was now combined with the blue lights of a fire engine that had come to a halt next to them. Without any sound as if they had not wanted to disturb the couple the firefighters rolled out a hose pipe and tried to extinguish the flames. All their attempts were futile and so the fire still grew, fortunately without inflaming the surroundings. But it still was getting warmer. And brighter.

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Barbara squeezed her eyes shut against the brightness then she opened them wide only to shield them against the light immediately.

"Blimey!" she cursed for having had another one of those dreams. She had waken up in the full sun. It had turned too hot there (in many ways) so she finally extricated herself from the blanket and pushed the old sunlounger back into the shadow. The decision was made that she finally had to call her friend Angela. Those dreams had to be stopped or at least reduced. Immediately.

"Angela? We have to talk."

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 **A/N:** _[/delete:] Next short chapter follows on the heel! [/replace with:]_ Next chapter will be longer and coming later since  something was requested by several people... ;-) Oh, and thank you for your reviews and PMs so far.


	5. The Haunted

**Author's notes:** Someone has mentioned it so my head spun round and round and round and - wooosh - here is the chapter that has been short (a quarter of what it is now) and once was named "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner" and now is slightly longer and finally named... _[/creepy voice]_...

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 **The Haunted  
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DI Lynley was relaxing on the ground in his garden, on the cool grass in the warm sun, with a cup of tea and a frozen yogurt. He just watched it melting and only took a few spoons of it. His mind was wandering across the rooftops of London to his partner on the job and very good friend. Tonight he was going to have dinner with her. They had a date though maybe she just does not see it this way. Friends do invite each other from time to time and they do spend one or the other evening together. That's what they would do tonight. Tommy smiled again. He had told her to wear jeans and he had planned to take her to that restaurant they had been to before. He would do everything to make it comfortable for her. She had to relax. Lately she really had looked stressed though she never had said anything about it. Maybe he would ask her tonight.

Being everything but vain he actually thought about what he was going to wear. Jeans of course, but then? A shirt or a long-sleeved T-shirt? Or the robust cotton shirt and the colourfully patterned waistcoat he got from his cousin, the hippie? _Naaah..._ In the end he opted for a simple thin jumper. Tommy picked her up at eight.

Barbara looked wonderful. Contrary to her usual jeans which he had expected, she was in linen slacks and a nice looking, very short top with thin straps. He swallowed when he followed her to the cab and thought that this was going to become one of the hardest trial for his self-control but in the end the dinner had turned out to be extremely relaxed.

Tommy and Barbara talked about this and that and when they fell silent it was not really uncomfortable. They knew each other for too long to feel awkward.

After he had paid a ridiculously high bill (bloody hip location...) he escorted her to the cab and halfway to her flat she agreed on having a nightcap in his garden. The weather was too wonderful to sit inside and additionally _he_ had the good beverages and to be honest she was slightly loosened after two glasses of white wine had accompanied her meal.

Without any ado Barbara walked through to his garden while he went to mix two ice-cold drinks. Hiding in the shadows of the trees she almost played hide and seek but then she joined him and the drink on the little wooden bench at the wall under an old huge rose bush.

After he had mixed her two more drinks and had told her the third creepy story about former inhabitants who still were haunting this house they sat very close. "Look, there!" he suddenly said and spooked her so much that she quickly turned to see 'there' but at the same time skidded close to him and grabbed his arm.

"Sorry, Barbara, I didn't mean to-" She had turned back to him. Her face was so close, her lips were almost brushing his, he felt her breath on his skin. Tommy's smile died. His voice was merely a whisper now. "Barbara."

"Tommy!" she breathed. When she closed her eyes his lips were on hers. A long and tender kiss tried to take away all of the built up fear and anxiety, and that did not only include the horror stories he had told her a minute ago.

When Tommy felt her arms around his neck he felt certain that this was going to be the most remarkable night of his life. He pulled her close into his chest while they still deepened the kiss and somehow they slid off the bench. All their movements were fluid and though they were unused to it everything they did felt natural. Clothes were opened slowly and bodies were revealed savouring every newly discovered square inch of naked skin. Every curve was kissed and explored, every dip caressed and nuzzled.

A soft rain had started to fall and it had turned darker since the moon and the stars now were hidden behind clouds.

"When I look down to you there's no more need to see the stars." Tommy whispered onto her cleavage shortly before he was about to merge with Barbara. Her eyes had been closed almost the entire time but now she looked up lovingly and it almost was all over for him.

The warm rain turned into a colder feeling of wetness on his back. A wind must have started to blow. It made the little waves in the puddles around them grow. They almost spilled over and the chirping rubber duck bobbing up and down in one of it distracted him from the love he was making with Barbara. To top it all the tooting ship in the puddle to his left suddenly started to swim in quick circles and, still tooting, it increased its speed until Tommy felt the spray in his face.

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He rubbed his eyes to see clear and then he jumped up and out of the way of the "F***ing lawn sprinkler!" It had started automatically and since Tommy had slept, and had been too engrossed in a wonderful dream, he had not heard the little warning beeps and the clicks before it went on. Avoiding the water he was able to secure his buzzing mobile.

"Yah?! Lynley!" he barked picking it up.

"Umm, Havers here, Sir, am I interrupting?"

"Yes! Err... no, of course not!" Tommy looked down in front of him, embarrassed though she could not see what she actually had been interrupting. He was glad that the water was already cooling him down a bit. "Sorry, Barbara. Had a little accident with the lawn sprinkler in my garden. Nothing serious. What can I do for you?"

His mood went dark when he heard the reason for her call.

"An old friend of mine had called. We haven't seen each other for quite a long time, and..." Her voice trailed off insecurely.

"You want to cancel our date to spend some time with him, right?" It had sounded a bit sharp but there was more understanding in his voice than he actually felt. Numbness, caused by another well-known bite from the green-eyed monster, crept through his body. He did not want to hear any feeble reply from her so he just kept on talking.

"Her." Barbara interjected almost unnoticed and Lynley spoke on almost without a noticeable pause. Maybe there was a little change in his voice and he sounded not as defeated as before. Then he reassured her that "It's okay, Barbara. We'll meet Monday morning. Or, if you want, maybe at the weekend? The invitation for dinner still stands..."

"Thank you, Sir." Tommy almost could see her watching the ground before her and shuffling her toes. He smiled.

"I'd be... happy." Barbara almost could see the tentative smile on his face through the line. "Have a nice evening, Barbara."

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 **A/N:**...enough is enough! Time for a little professional conversation!


	6. Dirty Dancing

**Author's information:** Something was wrong with the update-timer (whatever) so some of you may not have noticed chapter 5 - _The Haunted_. Just saying ;-)

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 **Author's notes:** Imagine Barbara has a _very close_ friend and this _very close_ friend happens to be a female psychotherapist, also working for the service. I'm so glad she has Angela. Barbara really needs to talk about those dreams.

This is a conversation with wine and fun and I wrote it almost in one go so it might be a bit unstructured. I've polished only the words and a bit of the fluidity because in the end it _is_ a spontaneous conversation. With wine and fun ;-)

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 **Dirty Dancing**

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The day had finally come when Barbara had enough of those disturbing dreams. She could have coped with her secret crush on her boss and with one or the other romantic dream but these highly erotic ones, always disturbed and the important part unfinished, were extremely, outrageously frustrating. So she had called her friend Angela, who happened to be working for the service as a psychotherapist, to come over, have a glass of wine and discuss that bloody man away. Dinner with her boss, the root of it all, had been cancelled quite easy. Stalled. They would dine another day.

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After a quick take away dinner Angela had brought to Barbara's flat the women made themselves comfortable in the living area and Barbara told her friend of those dreams. Actually it had been a very short discussion about them until Angela had come to the simple conclusion that this man probably could not simply be discussed away because Barbara was in love with him, or at least 'highly physically attracted'.

"Oh, tush." _Of course._ That _'s obvious._ Barbara thought and displayed her rolling eyes. Angela cheered with her wine.

"Of course. Yes, yes, and I believe that deep down inside of that stubborn head of yours you're in love. And deep down inside you're not willing to even admit that to yourself. You need to solve it. Those - what did you say? 'unfinished important parts' mirror the unresolved parts between the real persons. You should give in to it, if you ask me. You should tell him. It couldn't be too unthinkable. And what can you lose? He must already be doing something that steers your thoughts in that juicy direction. Go ahead tell me more."

"About what?"

"About your stylist. Oh, C'mon, Barbara, about that man, of course. Gimme more _details_! When 'n' where have you met, how was it when you first met him, what is he like - such things... And your feelings around those moments and all your juicy thoughts - I'm in the mood to hear some more smut."

"You won't get any more wine, that's what I'm in the mood for..." Barbara informed her mock indignantly.

"Oh, by the way - who is he?" Of course Angela already ventured a secret guess.

"It's Lynley. My boss."

"...say!?" Angela had suspected that but was not quite sure. She had heard stories too but when it came to her lovelife Barbara always was a bit... well, uncommunicative. Armoured, feelings locked in, everybody else locked out.

"And you already know when and how we first met."

Of course Angela had heard that story. She also had heard of his reputation, and of course she also had heard the stories about the 'faithful little dog at his feet', about the 'little stupid sergeant who always followed the posh inspector', the stories about Barbara. Probably this was not an easy thing to solve. Against her previous advice she agreed with her friend that she could not simply walk into his office and declare that she had wet dreams about him.

The women chuckled uncontrollably at that imagination and Barbara, with a light rosy touch on her cheeks, topped their glasses. "You're naughty, Ange!"

Then she started to talk about their first case, about the things they had managed together until now, personal things and things related to the job. She even talked about Helen and how Barbara had 'pushed him into his luck with that woman' and how it had been when she had left him, had returned and then when she had died. After that loss he had been away for his grieving and Barbara was entirely worried. Her concerns were eased when he finally returned to go on with his job.

Angela had a way to ask the right questions and to listen at the right time to finally bring somebody to the point where one openly talked about everything, as personal as it might be. It was no difference with Barbara - she babbled out almost everything.

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Eventually Barbara also talked about their way of solving crimes, how she admired his wit and his brain.

"And obviously his brawn." Angela interjected. "He _is_ handsome, isn't he."

"His brawn?" Barbara grinned. "Well, haha... He's not overly muscular."

"But well shaped! And handsome."

"He has silver streaked temples. And he already needs reading glasses."

"You're not growing younger yourself, Barb! He may not be a twenty-something he-man but he is handsome." With a grin Angela watched her friend over the rim of her wine glass. "Extremely handsome."

"Hm, well, yes." Barbara just smiled a bit. "I may have recognised that."

"And rich."

"Oh, get off, I couldn't care less."

"Just saying. What more? About your boss, I mean..."

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Barbara continued to talk about their usual banter and all the bickering, about their fights and their peace talks, their pints after work and their occasional nights in front of her telly or in his study when usually one fell asleep on the other's couch. Unnoticed by herself Barbara's eyes had turned dreamy when she finally told Angela about one or the other case away from London when they used to end in one of their rooms, often in night dress, to discuss things of the respective case. Her words had turned sentimental when she talked about a film they had watched at the cinema and she even sighed when she mentioned an evening at the theatre where her boss had taken her to and finally her voice had turned low and gentle when she talked about a dance they shared on the last Christmas ball when he suddenly appeared though he was supposed to be in Cornwall with his mother.

"He showed up at the ball?" Angela interjected amazed.

"M-mh."

"And you danced?" Angela almost chuckled.

"Yes."

"Only once or even more?"

"Three songs in a row." Barbara slightly blushed at the memory of what she actually had felt being held by his arms.

"Weren't you the one who once had told me that you don't dance?"

Now Barbara got a bit angry. "Well, apparently I did then. I just needed the right person. Not everybody is a good dancer and-"

She was interrupted by Angela's laughter. "Apparently you just needed _him_ , Barbara!"

"Oh, shut up, I... I probably knew _that_ for a while. I need you to tell me how to get rid of my feelings."

"It won't get into my head why you should..."

"Because it's futile! Haven't you heard yet? He is an Earl. And he is my boss. And I'm not at all his type of-"

"Oh, apparently you are."

"Oh, bollocks."

"He is wooing you."

"Shut up! He's not woo-"

"Dinners, pints, lunchbreaks, cinema, theatre. Nights on his sofa in front of the telly... All those evenings together, all his invitations to his estate? Not to mention his appearance at the ball. He may not have recognised it by himself but I call that _wooing_." Again she raised her wine to Barbara's muttered curse and took a sip.

"What did he do after you danced?" Angela knew that Barbara either had slipped into the ladies' or had observed his Lordship. It was the latter. "Let me guess: you would have gone on dancing but the music had changed into something too fast?"

"Yah, like this. He then went to the bar 'n' downed a whisky in one gulp, then ordered a second one. I think-"

Whatever she thought was waved away by the doctor's impatient hand. "Whatever you think is wrong. What did he do then?"

"He just looked around the ball room, then he downed the second whisky with a very grim face and left. I believe-"

"Nah, nah - wrong! Have you met his eyes before he left?"

"No, probabl-"

"When did you meet again after that?" Sometimes Angela had a way of interrogating people.

"January the fourth."

"Any contact inbetween?"

"Yah, I received a text message that he had to leave early because his mother had called him - which she hasn't. I mean, I've watched him the rest of-" Barbara stopped and not only the grin in Angela's face made her think. "Oh. Ahem... Well... anyway... He told me that he had to join his mother on this boring boxing day party. And a second message came one minute later in which he invited me to Howenstow for the New Year's Eve party. As if he remembered that he had to be polite and had to ask me that."

"You've been there?"

"Of course not!"

"You want my opinion on that?"

Barbara shook her head knowing that Angela would tell it anyway.

"He had appeared on that ball hoping he would meet you there, had danced with you, noticed that he liked it very much, probably noticed that he liked it _too_ much to be appropriate in public-"

"Angela!" Angela just chuckled.

"...so he went to the bar, trying to numb his... umm... affection with a whisky, then, when he couldn't find you afterwards he simply left. I suppose he drank himself into oblivion at home. What did _you_ do after that by the way?"

With a low voice and almost shy Barbara admitted into her wine that she also had left the ball.

"See?" Angela gave her a reassuring pat on her arm. "When he had invited you to Howenstow later he only wanted you to be there with him. It may have been a bit, well, clumsy but I truly think that he just had not known how to break through the barrier. You know, you have a thick wall around you and there are only very few windows and doors for friends. By the way, I feel very flattered that you've opened one for me and even let me in. But the section around your heart additionally is fenced and behind three more stone walls. It's closed, locked and double sealed, and it has ten steely vault doors in a row, each with a combination lock, some of them with up to ten digits - and I can't get rid of the idea that you even have put letters in some of the codes."

Barbara just stared at Angela.

"Anyway, Lynley might not know it yet but I think he has learned at least seven of the ten combinations."

"You're ridiculous, Angela." Barbara knew that everything her friend and private psychoanalyst had said somehow was right.

"There is no way of learning some of the combinations without your help, Barbara, and there is at least one lock you have to open by yourself."

For a while the women just looked at each other. Barbara was pondering on Angela's words. Then she grinned and let the last drops of wine drip into their glasses. The first bottle was empty.

"All right, psycho - tell me about those keys. No, wait - combination locks."

* * *

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	7. Key Largo

**Author's notes:** By the way, this is called 'Psycho' and not Physico'... ;-)

* * *

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* * *

 **Key Largo**

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* * *

Angela took a sip from her wine with a thoughtful look. "Okay, where to start...?"

"Don't do this, Ange." Barbara glared at her friend.

"What?"

"Keep me on the tenterhooks..." As Barbara rolled her eyes both women needed to laugh.

"Alright. Your combination locks... The first combination one can get, but by far not the easiest, is one you partly give on your own free will. When you've opened one of the windows or doors in the wall around you one only needs to look behind all the other fences and hedges there and see the real Barbara. That's the first combination. I believe I own that too." A twinkle in her eyes accompanied her last words.

"Of course you do, Ange. Apart from the fact that you're the trick cyclist here and would have figured it out even if I - what've you said? ...hadn't _opened a door_ for you. You'd simply have sneaked in through some backdoor that I've missed to lock..."

They laughed again.

"Well, I'm no magician and I can't go through walls, Barb. I only know how to bring people to open themselves up for me." Angela leant back. "Ah, well, yes, sometimes I just find a backdoor."

"Tricks. Like I said." Barbara grinned and stuck out her tongue. She tore open a bag. "Crisps?" Since Angela meanwhile had seated herself down on the floor with stretched legs and her back against the armchair Barbara placed her legs on the sofa.

"Abracadabra..." Rolling her eyes Angela continued with a mouthful of ready salted delicacy. "The second lock I know of and one of the most important ones, so it's probably one to a more inner section of your heart... Umm...? ...oh, please give me more wine, I'm already talking twisted so I also can have some fun. Where was I? Right, this lock is important especially to get on with more. It's opened with the digits of your faith. Stop!"

Barbara had filled her glass to brimming. She chuckled. "Sorry, Ange. Go on."

"He had to safe your life or be there when you fear for your life. Or be there in the hardest times of your life - as far as I remember Tommy-"

"Lynley!"

"You may not call him by his given name, but I do. We've met before." Angela grinned about the flash of envy that briefly went across Barbara's face. Not wanting to anger her friend she quickly added "On a professional basis. He had asked for an advice concerning this mentally ill criminal some time ago, you might remember."

Barbara nodded. Of course she remembered this man.

"So... Tommy!" Angela grinned again. "He's been there for you. Has been multiple times: for example, when you were shot - I think you meanwhile know that he sat at your bed almost the entire time?"

"Well, _he_ hasn't told me but yes, I know."

"...or when you looked down the barrel of that gun in that pub..." Meanwhile it was safe to talk about that traumatic experience but Angela knew that. Otherwise she would not have mentioned it.

"...so glad he had called for the cavalry." Barbara mumbled fidgeting in the crisp bag.

"...and when you were wounded in the marshes of where-was-it...?"

"Essex."

"Right. Essex. One more time when he had saved you. Or when he figured out where to find you when your father was brought to hospital, when he was there for you when your father had died. He was there for you when your mother died, he even attended her funeral at your side. And as far as I had heard he had lost his temper and almost killed that certain bloke when - not very long ago - this lunatic in the interrogation room had hit your nerves and literally brought you to your knees. When you were alone in there." She sounded reproachful.

"Oh, gosh, very bad memories."

"Very good psycho! I'm glad he's behind bars forever now. Besides you never should've been alone in there, but I think we've discussed this often enough."

"Yah, I know..."

Both women hung after their own thoughts until Angela continued to speak.

"Ah, the faith combination, yes. A very, well, _richly ornate_ number. Probably eight digits? The eighth digit is A. A as in Asherton." Angela laughed heartily.

"Funny..." But Barbara could not hide her grin too.

"And you return the favour. How many times did he rely on you? Daily on the job, that's clear, and in private? His family issues where you've been the soothing mediator? His dark times when his wife was away and, more so, when she had died and he brooded over his grief somewhere in Cornwall?"

"Wasn't easy to reach him there." Barbara muttered.

"What's with the moment when he had thought he had lost his brother? I've heard from Winnie that you've in a way managed his life at that time?"

"It was nothing." Barbara shrugged. "He just needed a friend."

"And he had relied on you." Angela smiled and patted her friend's leg. "You both trust each other with everything."

"Hmmm." The detective blushed a bit.

* * *

"Another row of digits: How many times did your boss try to keep you by his side, not only by saving your career when you're on the edge of being demoted again?"

"Not as often as you sound now."

"A few times he did, huh? And when did you pass your exam for DI?"

When Barbara just blushed Angela, who only had made an educated guess, was confirmed. "Oh, no... when?" she asked again.

Chewing on her bottom lip Barbara averted her eyes. "Two years ago." she confessed. It only made her psychoanalyst friend moan in annoyance.

"And how many posts were vacant since then? How many times have you chosen to stay his little sergeant in order to not being separated from him?"

"Oh, shut up."

"I bet you know how much!"

Barbara picked invisible fibres from the sofa's surface before she quietly listed the vacant posts.

"Southend CID, Causton CID, Spalding CID, Keighley CID. Oh, and an acting post in Stockport." She lopsidedly grinned when Angela only shook her head in disbelief. At least the Southend post would have been one Barbara should have grabbed.

"I'd say that's a lock you've opened." she reasoned. "By the way I have an easy solution for this: just tell him that you love him, move in with him, spend your _private_ life with him - then you don't have to go on obstructing your career, Barb."

"Just because those posts were vacant wouldn't mean they'd have cho-"

"You've never tried, have you?"

A pause silenced the room. Barbara chewed on the inner side of her cheek.

"No." Her voice turned into a whisper. "Of course not." And louder: "I'll get us another bottle of wine, then you go on with your funny combination lock theory."

"Obviously it's a good, a very _realistic_ theory!" Angela called after her with a laugh. "And not at all funny! This is the high art of psychoanalysis, you ignoramus!"

* * *

"Another glass of wine, another combination." Angela continued when their glasses were full again. "This is one you give him by yourself when you signalise to him that he is welcome to figure out more. Though I believe it is hard to read those signals. Giving him the keys to your flat for cases of emergency is one strong signal though you probably have hidden it in a tirade of practical reasons for that step."

"Well, in fact it _is_ very practical to have somebody who is able to watch your flat in your absence or - in case of an emergency - could easily come around."

"Well, in fact you also could have given that key to me." Angela's look could not be described as anything but mock innocent. Barbara did not really notice it.

"Well, I could have but the fact is that Lynley and I are together on a daily basis 'n' he would notice some emergency earlier than you would so there- what are you laughin' about?!"

"About you. You've just started another tirade of practical reasons why it's _him_ you gave the key."

"You know that I hate you, don't you?" Barbara grumbled halfheartedly.

"Yes, I know." Angela threw a cushion at her friend. "That's part of our good friendship."

* * *

 **"** One more combination - we have five so far, haven't we? Or was it four? Anyway... One combination is he finds out what you like, where and with what you feel comfortable, and he does everything to make you feel comfortable with - lunchbreaks in his car with sandwiches from Tesco's, letting you plaster his expensive car with bread crumbs. Or dinners in normal restaurants or - even better - in fancy restaurants, with him showing up in jeans like you do. And pints after work in crowded pubs, nights in front of the telly when you never would find sleep alone at home after horrible crime scenes or some such. He does it, am I right?"

Barbara nodded. Sometimes the insights Angela was capable of were frightening.

"And you don't even realise how he weaves those comfy things into his own world. Lately you probably meet more often in his house in Belgravia, am I right? Without his butler around." Angela suggestively winked.

"Shut up, Ange." How could she know this?

"I'm just good at guessing! Well, 'n' you don't have noticed that you've been to his estate in Cornwall three times the last year, do you?"

"Now that you say..." Of course she had noticed it. She had been there. And she had savoured every single second of it.

"And you haven't even once complained about visiting _his lot_. On the contrary..."

One of those invitations to Howenstow had been to a charity event his mother had forced her son into. Tommy and Barbara had ended sitting on the balcony overlooking the garden and they had 'judged' the posh people down there, had given marks and sharp comments until his mother had noticed what they were doing up there and had a very loud word with her son in the kitchen. Until that moment they had become quite tipsy sitting there and sipping champagne. Barbara had vanished in her room and had stayed there for the rest of the evening and had avoided Daze after that incident for the rest of the two days she was down ther in Cornwall.

The second time she had just accompanied him for a long weekend off and he had shown her a bit of the touristic side of Cornwall. This trip could have been called romantic even though nothing romantical had happened. Apart from the casual arm around her shoulder. Well, and the occasional squeeze of her hand. Not to mention the deep looks he had given her in the cafe at Lizard Point when she had revelled in the best cream tea she ever had...

The third time she was there was even stranger. Barbara had just recovered a bit from an accident during the chase after a suspect in which she had broken her leg and bruised some ribs and additionally had to endure a bad cold which had been no fun at all with this damaged ribcage and Tommy - Lynley, for heaven's sake! Lynley had offered a few days away from London. They had been all alone in the manor. Hodge, his mother's butler, had been away with her and not even the estate manager had shown up. It had been four leisure days with only her boss around and Barbara had to admit to herself that it almost naturally felt like they were a couple. Without the physical aspect of course.

 _Unfortunately._ Barbara blushed.

* * *

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 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** I may post another chapter soon because I'm away for the weekend and the chapter only needs a bit of a polish...


	8. Niagara

**.**

 **Niagara**

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* * *

"You are thinking of those four days of which you haven't told me anything at all, aren't you?"

"We've been absolutely alone there."

"Wow! And?"

Barbara shook her head. "What 'and'?! Nothing 'and'! Of course not, Angela. I've told you, he's not after me. I'm more of a little sister for him."

Angela just laughed. "Yah, right. Let me guess. He's cooked for you everyday?"

Barbara nodded.

"Do you think he would cook for his sister? Every day? I doubt that. Has he lit the fire in the evening?"

Barbara nodded.

"In October! Do you think he would prepare such a romantic setting in the relative warmth of a Cornish October for his sister? Probably he had not once gone riding and probably had not left you alone for a single moment, has he?"

Barbara shook her head.

"Except for the nights, of course, ...unfortunately," Angela winked. "...and the time when you relaxed in the tub. Where he had prepared a hot soaking bath for you. With bubbles. Am I right?"

"How do you know all that?" Barbara blushed deeply in the memory of what she actually had done in there after his Lordship had prepared that bubbly bath with wonderfully smelling additives and dimmed lights and - yes, he really did - lit candles on a chair next to the tub. In the end the bath had been a bit painful though with her damaged bones. She suppressed a nervous chuckle.

"Like I told you, I'm just good at guessing plus I have a romantic soul. Do you think he would have prepared such a bath for his sister? Probably choosing the largest bathroom in the manor, laying out the hugest, softest towels and probably lighting some candles..." Since Barbara showed an enchanted smile Angela knew she was right and probably there even was a bit more to that bath. "I don't believe he would have done that for his sister. Aaah, romantic days at Howenstow..."

Lopsidedly smiling Barbara just harrumphed.

"He's done every little stroke of work to give you a lazy and wonderful time, hasn't he? Do you really think that's what siblings would do? I mean, even if they would they would at least take the mickey out of the blessed, wouldn't they?"

Meanwhile Barbara had started to chew on the inside of her cheek. "I don't know if I want to hear more."

"Oh, you will!" Angela just laughed and said that there were about four combinations left. "But first I need more wine!"

* * *

"Okay, what's the next key to my heart?" Barbara said while she tucked her feet under her, leaning back on the sofa with the newly topped glass in her hand. Angela let her head drop back onto the seating surface of the armchair she was leaning at while still sitting on the floor. She took a deep breath before she said the next and tried to look emotionless.

"He dares to become physical." Her words almost made Barbara splutter the sip of wine she was just taking. "No, Barbara, I don't mean _that_. Well, at least not yet."

In the end even Angela could not keep her straight face and both women laughed like silly teenage girls before the psychist's explanation continued.

"I mean those little touches inbetween. Well, come to think of it, there are two keys: one is those little touches that occur by - let's name it - _convenient_ _accidents_ that make your hair rise and your heart miss a beat and your breathing go faster and your eyes dart to him to check if he had felt that too. Gods, I'd love to feel that again..."

"I know what you mean." Barbara sighed and lost her thoughts somewhere in the office with Tommy - _Lynley! Hold on to that name whatever this man causes you to feel. Lynley!_

Angela needed to rip herself away from her own wandering mind back to the topic at hand. She was here to help Barbara with the matters of her heart. At the moment there was no man in her life anyway. She shook her head and turned her face back to dreamy-eyed Barbara.

"Wake up, Barb!" She pinched her toe. "We need to sort through your life and love, my dear."

After they had talked a bit about the absence of a man in Angela's life and the prospect of finding one for her they returned to the locked heart and its keys and combinations. "Actually I'm here to give _you_ some pychological help. Though I truly believe you both just need a bit of a _physical_ help. A little push. Not only literally." She laughed again about how Barbara blushed.

* * *

"Well, maybe you're on the right way and just need to speed up a bit. Anyway, there's a second lock of touches and the other combination consists of those little touches that occur on purpose. I don't mean the obvious touches, like an arm around your shoulder or a gentle squeeze of your hand when you need some reassurance."

"Well, those touches aren't too bad either, believe me." Barbara smiled shyly and Angela winked at her.

"I believe you. But you know, I mean the softer ones. The gentle brush of his fingertips across the back of your hand before he takes the cup of tea you offer him, the shoulder that softly nudges into your back when you both lean over a body in the morgue, the hand in the small of your back when he softly guides you through the bushes on a crime scene, the nose in your hair when he needs to tell you something quiet in front of a witness or a suspect who should not hear him..."

Angela's voice had become sentimental and remembering all those scenes she was listing Barbara had to swallow before she confirmed it. "He does it. All."

"Even that thing with the nose in your hair?!" Angela sat up straight and overly excited grabbed Barbara's hands. "Oh, that's so cuuute!"

"Angela, you're daft!" Though she scolded the cheeky psychoanalyst and tried to overplay it with rudeness the mere memory of that certain moment made Barbara blush.

"Care to tell me?" her friend asked encouraging and topped their glasses once more. Of course Barbara told the entire story of when they had been at the house of a witness and she was asking a few questions while Lynley had been at the phone in the corridor. After he had finished the call and returned he had grabbed her elbow and leaned close to her ear. On purpose or by chance his nose was buried into the hair above her ear and his lips brushed her auricle. He stayed there for a few more unnecessairy seconds after he had briefed her. She had heard his breath and felt its warmth wavering across her skin.

"I was so dizzy that I almost had not answered his question."

Barbara looked enraptured and scared at the same time. For a while Angela just looked at her friend with a smile. "Well, I'd say he knows these two combinations."

"Mh. Probably." Barbara blushed and tried to hide her face in the wine glass.

"Though probably he doesn't know that he knows..."

"I know..." It was a deep sigh coming from Barbara.

"But anyway the next lock is not very far away. It's the one where you finally _believe_ that he is willing to spend the rest of his life with you."

"Yah, of course. I only let my future husband so deep into my heart." Barbara rolled her eyes.

"I don't mean _that_. You could of course go on as friends. For the rest of your lifes. And of course spending the rest of one's life with one another, even in a romantic relationship, doesn't automatically mean you have to marry. But, well, if that's what you're already mulling over..."

A cushion forcefully landed on Angela's shoulder. "Ouch!"

"Serves you right, you silly psycho!" Nonetheless Barbara was grinning. **  
**

"The previous lock, by the way, leads to the last and most important combination lock to your heart. To the innermost part of your heart to be precise. That's a number you need to give away by yourself."

"Which is?"

"Zero-nine, twelve, twenty-five." It was hard to keep a straight face.

"Angela, you're daft!" Barbara threw the empty crisp bag on her psychist friend.

"Seriously... You know what that means, we've been to the funny cryptology seminar together."

Barbara thought a while about the combination and then shook her head. _ILY?!_ Angela could not really mean it. It would be far too early. Of course she could not mean it.

"Yes." Angela confirmed her obvious solution. "You dare to finally tell him that you love him."

After a pause in which Barbara had said nothing at all but still pondered over her friend's words Angela finally said that this step should, of course, be wisely overthought. "And... _of course_ you two have to be kissing on a regular basis before you say that."

"Angela!"

Of course nothing like this was about to happen soon, if ever, but Barbara actually was a bit shaken by the thought of a relationship with Tommy. Plus they had a bit of too much wine so a sudden clumsy, well, _nervous_ motion when Barbara tried to reach another bag of crisps produced a big mess with the red wine on Barbara's coffee table. Screaming out Angela quickly tucked up her legs so the waterfall of wine would miss her trousers. All efforts to wipe the wine back into her glass were futile and in the end Barbara just joined the uncontrollable fit of giggles in which Angela had bursted out once her garment was safe. The wet hand could be wiped at her carpet, now that it was stained anyway.

"I need to clean that immediately..." Barbara mumbled.

* * *

In the end Angela and Barbara had killed three and a half bottles of wine in total over more discussions about men in general and a certain man in particular. With a not so small amount of alcohol in her veins Barbara hoped she would not have another dream. It had not quite been what she had thought the conversation would give her but at the moment there were not so many thoughts in her head anyway.

"...only nine." Barbara mumbled when they had found their way under the blankets in her bed and almost had drifted off to sleep. Being a bit drunk Angela certainly would not have driven home in her own car and since the two were very close friends there had been nothing speaking against sharing her double bed. Despite the fact that Angela had had poked her fun at Barbara by constantly mentioning that nothing would speak against Tommy and Barbara sharing her double bed and she also could call a cab to send Barbara to Belgravia tonight.

"Lynley!" Barbara had interfered while both women stood over her sink and brushed their teeth.

"Tommy! Lovers should call each other by-" Angela had giggled this half of a sentence before it had resolved in a fit of coughing while Barbara almost had choked at the toothpaste.

* * *

"Wha'? Only nine o' what?" the psychoanalyst now asked equally half asleep.

"Combinations. Keys. You should have paid more attention in your math lessons, Ange!"

"I thought it's only eight. The eight keys of Asherton." She buried her face in the pillow to hide her girlish giggle.

"Watch out, Doc, or you accidentally slip off my bed."

"You watch out and keep your hands to yourself when you're dreaming tonight. I'm not willing to pretend I'm your boss. Oh, wait..."

Again both women giggled like teenagers before Barbara finally turned off the bed side lamp she previously had forgotten.

Fortunately Barbara wasn't haunted by another one of those dreams tonight.

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 **...**

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 **A/N:** Well, this conversation on a girl's evening was the initial idea. The dreams were just a bit of fun and mostly there to annoy, like they - in a way - had annoyed Barbara. Now follows a short break and probably I write more to this. In fact there will be a hangover to be handled. And a certain dark-haired man. And I don't mean Winston Nkata...

Thanks for your reviews and PMs - I do appreciate your feedback so much!


	9. Breakfast At Tiffany's

**Author's note:** Well, after a little blockade, a little FFnet time-out, a little bit of writing and a short vacation almost entirely without internet (aaaah, so relaxing) I'm back and I've already finished and polished a few more chapters. First I was not overly pleased with the continuation because I've originally had planned to stop with Barb and Ange going to bed but then I felt some of you were expecting more ;-)

When I finally went on writing this thing it turned in a little more dramatic direction. Also I've put my head above the parapet and this story had become a bit fairytale-like too, especially the part with... Ah, well, go ahead, read it ;-)

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 **Breakfast at Tiffany's**

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* * *

Tommy was in the best of moods. The sun was shining and the day had started with the wonderful prospect of a free weekend without being on call and since he had had a fantastic dream about Barbara (without any embarrassing moments when waking up) he had decided to bother her with his presence. He had no real plans for the day but just thought he could spend it with her. She only had mentioned that she would enjoy the free weekend with doing the laundry, tidying her flat and to recruit stock. "Baked beans and bread, you know." she had said with a grin. Tommy smirked at that memory though later she also had cancelled their date for dinner.

Now, being here in front of her house he started to question his presence here. He thought that maybe she had other plans for the weekend too. Maybe she had other plans that she had not told him about at all. Maybe she would not want him at all to come around. On the way up the stairs he thought that maybe he really should not be here. He really should have called her first and ask if she would like to dine with him tonight. But then again, stepping out onto the gangway to her door and back into the bright sunshine, Tommy suddenly realised he actually did not care at all if it was appropriate to simply drop by. He just would say that he had been around somewhere near and just thought he could pay a visit. She could kick him out if she was not in the mood. Or not let him in at all. He will see. Tommy felt so adventurous that a whistling melody found its way into the corridor to her flat. He rang her bell and waited.

After a longer moment he rang it again but already was continuing to question his appearance at her flat. _Is she out of town?_ He looked at his watch: twelve thirty. _Or had she just spent her night somewhere else and is_ still _not at home at all?_ He felt the familiar sting of jealousy but also knew he could easily talk himself out of a possible awkward situation with the hint at their friendship and that friends do pay visits to each other unannounced from time to time. _Yes, something like that._ A rational voice in the back of his head though still advised him to walk away again and leave her to her own privacy. Nonetheless he rang again and turned, leaning his back against the wall, not really expecting anymore that the door would be opened. _I really shouldn't have come here without calling her first. I mean, I shouldn't... assault her like that. I don't even have a real excuse for showing up. I should-_

The door opened and a croaky voice was heard. "What?"

* * *

The DI turned and the greeting he was about to say stuck in his throat when an unexpected but faintly familiar sleepy face welcomed him. Quickly Tommy checked that he was at the right door. "Umm, is Miss Haver-"

The woman turned into the flat clearing her throat before she called for its inhabitant. "Baaaarb!" Turning back to Tommy she obviously had found her voice but not her ability to see thus she narrowed her eyes shortsighted.

" 'n' you are?" she asked. The woman in the doorway was not really rude, it only was the hangover that was clearly written all over her appearance. Somewhere Tommy already had seen her but he could not quite name it.

"Umm, I'm Tommy Lynley. I'm-"

"Oh, shut up, Ange!" came the curse from inside the flat involuntarily cutting him short. It was Barbara's answer to her friend's loud call. The following muttered words probably were unrepeatably rude but her guests fortunately did not hear them.

"Aaah, the Earl!" Angela's face clearly lit up and she finally opened the door to let him in. Inwardly she cursed herself for not having put on her contact-lenses before opening the door. Or at least her glasses. "Sorry, I haven't put on my glasses. Hello Tommy. Come on in!"

In that moment Tommy remembered the face. Actually it had looked a bit less sleepy when he last had seen her and she definitely had not been in those ridiculously patterned pyjamas. "Oh, you're Miss Bower! Doctor Bower, I'm pleased to see you." _And you wouldn't believe_ how _pleased I am to see_ you _and no other man..._

Then Tommy started to grin.

"Angela." the psychoanalyst corrected him. Once inside Tommy was offered the wonderful sight of Barbara in a crinkled mismatching ensemble of short night pants and a twisted top, her hair ruffled, her eyes sleepy, her face with clear signs of a crumpled pillow. The way she massaged her forehead and temple and grumbled foul words she obviously had a bad hangover. Many grumpy morning moments rushed through his head but this was by far the sweetest one.

Though he deeply pitied her for the headache she must have.

* * *

Barbara scuffled across the carpet and only a bit into the living area of her flat before she recognised who had pulled her out of the bliss of a deep long sleep-in.

"Look who's here!" Angela chirped innocently.

"Oh, holy shit." Barbara froze on the spot and groaned. Her brain suddenly was empty. This was the last moment of all that she wanted to be caught by her boss. The mismatching night wear, the horrible hangover, the empty bottles and glasses still on her coffee table, the general mess in her living room, the other woman in night wear - he _had_ to recognise she was in _Barbara_ 's ridiculous night wear - and only her bed rumpled and not her sofa. Well, rumpled, yes, and in a mess like the rest of the flat, but there had not slept anybody on it. She moaned again, half from her headache, half from annoyance. _Brilliant. Now he will note lesbian too. Next to drinking, grumpy, messy and clumsy._

 _Lovely._ Tommy thought and his smile grew even wider.

" 'morn', Sir. A case?"

"Good morning, Barbara. No, fortunately no case. We're not on call, you forgot?" The broad smile he was offering did not at all match Barbara's thoughts about his possible new image of her.

"...forgot _a lot_ of stuff, Sir." she mumbled and turned to her bathroom where Angela just had come out. "You found the aspirins?"

Angela nodded and asked whispering if she should leave her alone with him. Shock was all over her face when Barbara mouthed a clear NO! before she turned back to her DI.

"Sir...?" she did not exactly know what to say (or do) but fortunately Tommy sensed the uneasiness. Inwardly cursing himself once more for his inexplicable happiness and the desire to pull Barbara in his arms he finally felt awkward for having invaded her privacy and forced himself to stammer an explanation.

"Oh, I just dropped by to say hello because I was driving this way coming from- Ah, never mind. I'm sorry I just invaded your flat. I didn't think you might've slept in. Sorry, I just- I really didn't think when I stopped by. I should-"

"...keep silent until I've had a coffee and some aspirins? Yes, please. And please sit down, Sir."

In his back Angela mouthed a "Tommy!" and glared at Barbara who was trying to ignore it by making herself busy with rearranging the sofa cushions.

"Sorry, Barbara." Tommy pushed back the unruly lock of hair and grinned lopsidedly before he suggested that he would go and buy stuff for a proper breakfast since he believed that she still had not shopped her beans and bread and in half an hour when "the ladies" would have woken up completely he would be back and prepare for them the best reinforcing of life after having that certain glass too much. While his eyes twinkled with amusement his chin motioned towards the mess on the coffee table and once again he wondered what that little heap of pink salt on the carpet could mean.

"Only if you agree, that is."

"Mmmmh." Barbara answered so he let himself out again.

Immediately after the door had closed behind him Angela started to quietly squeal like a teenager. "Goooods, he's so cute, Barb!"

"Oh, get lost, Angie, what's he doin' here?" her still tired friend grunted. Barbara really had not wanted to be seen in that unflattering state.

"Isn't it obvious? Trying to spend some time with you, he really doesn't care what you look like. Remember what I've told you yesterday. You know what? I'll leave, I just go and change..."

"He's seen that you've slept in my bed. In _my_ pyjamas!" Barbara whined.

"So you think he will remember them? Ahaaa...?!" Angela mocked her friend, already getting undressed.

"Wonderful. Now he'll also think I'm lesbian. I doubt that he'll come back anyway..." Barbara grumbled.

"Oh, bollocks, Barb. He'll think that we are close friends, which is the truth. And that's why I'm leaving. You make yourself presentable and we'll tidy up this mess around here and then you'll spend the day with him. Tomorrow morning I'm calling you for a briefing." Angela turned back to Barbara with an intense glare. "Very _late_ in the morning! I expect you to have an exhausting night, understood?"

"Shut up, Angie, nothing like that will happen, and you stay. I couldn't quite-"

"You could! No go have a shower!"

"And you stay here!"

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	10. Charade

**A/N:** Thank you for your patience and your ongoing support! :-)

This next chapter has a huge time gap but I decided on leaving some things in the dark. Some of those things may be revealed later... **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **Charade**

 **.**

* * *

After the Inspector had left the flat briefly thinking about the strange scene inside he wondered if he was on the wrong path with his Sergeant. He _had_ seen that they both had slept in one bed. He _had_ seen that they both wore Barbara's sleepwear. _She could not possibly have changed the sides, could she?_ He shook his head and whispered "No..." as if he shook off the unwelcome thought like snow from a coat and then he rebuked himself. They had been decently dressed in sleepwear - in _her_ sleepwear but that does not really count, does it? - because obviously the women were close friends and if Barbara would have had a spare room or a sofa bed or guest pyjamas Angela would have slept there and not in one of those funny print things. Of that he was sure. And he very much appreciated that Barbara had such a close friend. He looked forward to cooking them some full english breakfast.

* * *

Once he was outside Barbara and Angela continued their dispute in the bathroom. Angela was brushing her teeth and Barbara was taking a hot and cold shower while they discussed if Ange should stay or leave.

"I don't want to face him alone, Ange, pleeease!" The water splashing across Barbara's face did wonders with her throbbing head but it could not wash away the hangover completely.

"Youwa a cowarb, Barb!" Angela mumbled with her mouth full of tooth paste. "Heeph here po phee _you_ m mop me!"*

With open doors between them they still argued across the still messy flat when Angela took a shower and Barbara put on some decent clothes.

Still not agreed they tidied up a bit together. The glasses were brought into the kitchen and after collecting the empty bottles and crisp bags Barbara hoovered the crumbs and especially that now pink heap of salt she had put on the lemon juice soaked wine stain to safe most of the carpet. It had worked, though being tipsy as she was tonight she had cut her finger with one of the pieces of the broken glass.

After the flat (and the girls) looked a bit more presentable Angela was about to leave when the doorbell rang.

* * *

Unfortunately DI Lynley only had made it to the store and back to her doorstep before an all-hands-on-deck call had reached him. Though he had not been briefed on his mobile and just been ordered back to New Scotland Yard _immediately_ it had been made clear that it obviously was a serious incident. The Inspector just informed Barbara about the call and gave her the things he had bought.

"Eat something and take your time to get rid of most of your headache, Havers. Unfortunately we expect you to join us at... well, two am. Latest." With a sorrowful smile he added a quiet "Sorry, Barbara..." It looked as if he was about to stroke her cheek but then he just put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it softly. Then he only nodded at the two women with a grim expression, something between sorrow about that cancelled breakfast and the professionality of a long trained police officer who was used to situations like this. Then he turned and left.

"He looked as if he was about to kiss you, Barb." Angela smiled. "Like a soldier husband leaving his wife for war."

"Oh shut up, Ange." Barbara grumbled and went into the kitchen to make some breakfast. "It was nothing like that!"

Despite his grim expression and the certainty that something bad must have happened, and despite her embarrassment when he had seen her in that state of a hangover, she had felt a wonderful buzzing in her belly when he had squeezed her shoulder and had looked at her like that. It was the same she had been feeling for quite a while now every time her boss was around and they were not exactly bent over a body.

"Scrambled or fried?" Barbara shouted into the living area but got no answer. "Angela?!"

Angela still did not answer. With horror she watched the breaking news on TV. The sudden realisation that her previous words were not far from the truth had silenced her.

A bit later and after a quick buttered toast with beans and still with the worst hangover they could think of but still before it had turned two o'clock Barbara and Angela followed Lynley to the office at New Scotland Yard. Meanwhile Barbara had had received a text message from Winston saying 'Seen the news? Need u here soon. Chief Super upset' so she had decided on bringing Angela to see if she would be useful. She was.

London experienced one of the most horrible moments in its history and keeping a police-experienced psychiatrist at your side was not the worst decision.

* * *

 **...**

* * *

There had been no real breakfast for Barbara that day, which later was known as the 'Black Day', and the probable dinner Tommy had anticipated earlier at that morning had been cancelled too. In fact they all had not eaten on this day until the next morning at around one am, but in the end after five days in a tizzy, with too less time to eat on a regular basis and no time for proper sleep, the situation finally had been cleared and what remained now laid in the hands of SIS and other special branches. So today at Wednesday for the last time Barbara and Angela entered the office at New Scotland Yard together. The atmosphere already had lightened yesterday and while they sat there only waiting for an official debriefing they chatted easily.

* * *

Winston had just told Barbara that he really wanted to know how two persons obviously so different like Angela and Barbara could become friends when DI Lynley entered the office carrying a big envelope marked with [confidential].

"Apparently nothing unusual..." Angela muttered with a distinct look at Lynley and for that she earned a poke in her ribcage from Barbara. "Well, seems like we've had the same enemy." she grinned.

"Actually the same boyfriend." Barbara chuckled. Then both women told the story.

* * *

Indeed they had - unbeknownst to each other - shared a boyfriend until that one glorious day when Barbara had sat in Angela's office after the incident in the pub when she had been looking down the barrel of the rifle. Finally she had made a step forward and not only could have been convinced that she should pay some visits to the psychotherapist to talk about the events and everything but she also had met a nice man whom she had let a bit into her life and who she had hoped would cure her from having such a pash on her boss. She had let herself relax into a relationship with that man, a simple bank employee with a boring nine-to-five-job and a huge understanding for her overtime hours and her days away on a case outside of London.

.

Of course now she did not tell the parts of the story that were connected to her boss. She would not tell Winston anyway and not at all to anybody as long as the DI himself was present.

"I was just glad that I've had a professional listener and a caring man." she said a bit shy. "It was exactly what I needed at that moment." _With the real one entirely unavailable..._

As if she had read her mind Angela let her eyes wander from Barb to Tommy and back with a meaningful look and then asked grinning "Maybe not exactly this bloody banker, huh?" but Barbara did not react to it. She only gave her friend one of her death glares saying something like _Shut up!_

"I've actually needed one after that certain day and rushed myself into the next ...umm ...random affair with one of the motor patrol boys." Angela grinned. "Haven't you soon found another bloke after that too?"

"No, Ange!" These sharp words should have stopped Angela.

"Ah, yes... You kept on dreaming about the perfect guy... your Prince Charming on a horse... not on a motor bike..." She was walking on very thin ice, of that she was sure. Her broad teasing smile was no real equalizer.

"Better than-" Barbara was about to accuse Angela of being insatiable or worse when Lynley interrupted asking "That certain day?" and then looked from the juicily grinning psychoanalyst to the blushing and slightly fuming DS.

"Sorry, Barb." Angela muttered lowering her gaze. "Go on with that story..."

.

* * *

So Barbara told about 'that certain day'. The session with the psychoanalyst almost had come to its end when there was a knock at the door and without waiting for an answer a man came in. He had not noticed that it had been Barbara who had been sitting on the comfortable armchair with her back to the door so he said something sweet to Angela, something about a dinner date, finishing his sentence with a gentle "...darling."

Barbara now told Winston that she had recognised the man's voice and could not quite believe it so she had turned to look at him. He suddenly had turned as white as chalk when he had noticed Barbara. The woman he also had been calling darling.

"Barbara!" he had said, shock all over his face and in his voice.

"Oh, you know each other?" Angela who had been busy with filling in a form had not been aware of the sudden tension between the other two.

"Darling?!" Barbara's voice had pitched.

A short stunned moment of confusion had followed that quickly had turned into extreme tension when they all had realised what had been actually happening.

* * *

"What was your reaction?" Winston asked. Until now he just had listened open mouthed. Lynley looked quite equally unbelieving.

"At first we were fighting. All three." Barbara said.

"In my office." Angela added. "We've accused each other in circles."

"Many bad words were said."

"Oh yes, many _very_ bad words." Both women grinned. "And of course nobody stayed seated."

"In the end we three stood in the middle of Angela's office shouting until he said something wrong."

"Oh hell yes, something _very_ wrong."

Both women laughed when they realised that neither of them could remember what it had been.

"And then?" Winston asked.

"I broke his nose." Barbara said blushing.

"I sabotaged his... umm... " and now Angela muttered "...test results."

Both women chuckled.

Tommy sucked in some breath. "Ouch."

Winston obviously had not understood what she had meant. "Huh? Test results?"

"His..." now Tommy muttered too "...test'esul's, Winston."

The Constable still did not seem to understand but Barbara had mercy. "Oh, hell, his _testicles_ , Winnie..."

Both women laughed outrageously at how Winston blushed.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Sorry for that piece of nonsense in the second part ;-)

* * *

*"You're a coward, Barb! He's here to see _you_ and not me!" (It's not easy to speak with froth in the mouth - LOL )


	11. About A Boy

**A/N:** In the previous chapter 've added something that came to my mind today, marked with . Not changing the story, just added a few words. **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **About A Boy**

 **.**

* * *

"And after that?" Lynley asked them.

"We've gone drinking." Angela laughed. "I've been so - sorry - pissed after that evening that I almoust couldn't climb into that narrow cab."

"I'm glad I've had my flat just around the corner." Barbara added blushing. "But I hope that not too much neighbours have seen me weaving."

"At the pub we've talked about how we had met this bloke and why he was the perfect guy for us in that moment." The psychoanalyst looked at Barbara remembering that she was the one who had opened up her heart and that she was the one who almost had talked the entire evening. Without revealing Barbara's story in which a certain DI had played a distinct role she quietly said that "Sometimes you just need someone who cares." Her eyes went from Barbara to Tommy and Barbara knew exactly what Angela was thinking so she needed to steer the story back to the drinking part.

"We've talked and talked and the hours went by and the glasses refilled themselves on their own." she grinned almost apologetic.

"You drink too much." Lynley smiled almost tenderly with the memory of the sight of the two women last Saturday morning.

"Look who's talking, Sir." Barbara returned one of her rare openly affectionate smiles but then quickly hid her face behind a random manila folder.

* * *

Later that day, shortly after the official debriefing, and since for them everything was going on like normal again, Angela continued what she had started on the previous Friday: trying to convince Barbara of the feelings Tommy harboured for her. She almost physically pushed her in his direction. A little encouraging nod here, a nudge into her side to shove her into his at the canteen's counter when they finally had a late lunch break, an openly spoken suggestion that all four could spend the rest of the evening together relaxing in front of someone's telly. Finally Barbara dragged her to the Ladies and had a harsh word with her psychologist friend.

"You stop that now, Ange, or I'll _really_ sic Winnie on you!"

"Oh, I wouldn't mind. He's a sweetie." Angela grinned.

"Ah, get lost, you insatiable lecher." Barbara grumbled, left the sanitary room and only heard her friend's response from behind.

"Hey, I'm a single. A romantic at that. What do you expect?"

* * *

After all they still were friends and since the invitation for the evening had not really worked - Lynley already had another appointment with Hillier - the two women once again sat together at Barbara's flat. They were not drinking alcohol this time because Barbara would be on call for a few days more.

The days had been tense enough and probably the events still would have been a major topic in news so they had not turned on the TV. Instead they just sat on the sofa, already in nightwear, wrapped in blankets, both a big cup of tea in their hands - with a tiny shot of rum. That much Barbara had conceded them. They talked a bit about the previous events but inevitably they broached the topic of the adorable DI. Angela told Barbara what she had seen through those days. She told her about all the little touches and all the looks they had exchanged despite the tense situation.

"Maybe rather because of it and even more intense than usually."

Barbara just hid her nose in the steam of her tea.

"Maybe you've also searched his proximity more than usual. And you did not even object when he had payed the taxi tonight. You should have seen your face! It was the model expression for disappointment when he had said that he could not drive us home tonight – what was his excuse, anyway?"

"Meeting with the Assistant Commissioner."

"Yah. If we hadn't been in the office he probably would have given you a kiss when we'd left." Mock serious she added "On your cheek of course."

"Oh, Ange, of course not." Barbara's objection was quite lame.

"On your lips?" Angela chuckled. "I doubt that. I mean - I was standing right next to you..."

"Mh." Barbara really had been disappointed in that moment when Tommy had told her that he had to meet Hillier and that the women unfortunately had to take a taxi home. By no means would he have let them take the tube or the bus so over the last few days somehow she had gotten used to him driving them home. Except for one day he always had brought Angela home first and then at Barbara's flat he always walked her the few yards from his car to her door. Actually he really had given her a chaste kiss on the cheek yesterday. If she would not have been utterly exhausted she probably would not have fallen asleep at all with that kiss running around in her head. Of course she never had mentioned that to the nosy psychiatrist.

Angela had guessed something like that on her own when Lynley had picked her up first this morning instead of Barbara. After Barbara had climbed the car something between the two blindest detectives looked as if it had been shifted because she almost bent over to her boss who still had been slightly leaning over the gear stick after having opened the passenger door from inside. But briefly shocked about what seemed to be happening they had stopped themselves right on time, had sat straight in their seats and then both displayed a sweet rosy complexion looking out of opposite windows. Angela had had a hard time suppressing her smug grin knowing that something must have happened the day before.

"Though you always managed to not getting caught I've seen you both getting lost in deep pensive looks towards each other throughout those days. 'n' today even more. Say, what the hell had happened yesterday when he had brought you home? Will I smell his aftershave on your spare pillow? And don't tell me that _nothing_ had happened..."

"Nothing like that! And I truly think about letting you sleep without a pillow at all." Barbara pouted.

"So?"

"So what?"

"Sooo?" Angela rolled her eyes. "I want to know what had happened yesterday. Did he kiss you good bye on your doorstep, or what?"

Barbara's crimson coloured face was more than a positive answer.

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Angela sighed. "A real kiss? Did you respond? How was it? Tell me all, Barb!"

"On the cheek, nothing more." Barbara could not even look at her friend but smiled nonetheless. Now that she had some time to think about it she admitted to herself that it really had felt wonderful.

Swallowing a sip of tea the psychiatrist muttered into her mug that she would have loved to tease her now with the assertion that getting this kiss, or probably more later on, had been the only aim for Lynley to drive them home every day but she would not do that because on that first evening after that horrible hangover day when they had been about to leave and Barbara, with the attacks not really sunken in at that time, automatically had told him they would take the tube Angela had seen spontaneous and real fear in his eyes. Fear of losing Barbara.

In fact, and she would not say it directly to Barbara, Angela had expected something like a kiss distinctively sooner. After that day when Lynley's team had been commandeered to protect that school complex for example. Since he had not brought them home that special evening, for reasons she had learned later, she would have bet Lynley would have returned to Barbara's flat after bringing Angela home the next evening. Another thing she would not have mentioned to Barbara. She sighed.

"But at least we're making progress..."

"I'm not sharing this time." Barbara dared to say with her blushing but broadly grinning face deep in her cup of tea.

"There's no danger of that happening again." Angela laughed but then turned serious. "He only has eyes for you. Just be a little bit more confident, Barbara Havers. He respects you. He admires you. And if I had to put a finger on it I'd say he's a bit uncertain himself. Shy perhaps? Maybe a bit afraid of the friendship you share? Or rather afraid that he might destroy it if he puts your relationship on the next level..."

"I'm afraid of that too." Barbara admitted. "And of other things."

"Like what?"

"Like... I mean... Well... he's my boss, isn't he?"

"That shouldn't be a barrier!"

"It _is_ in the Services."

"There'll be a solution."

"There's no solution for that Earl-thing."

"Well, Countess Barbara Lynley is a wonderful solution, don't you think?"

"Oh, shut up!" Barbara swallowed. "There's no way this is ever going to happen."

"Never say never..." Angela smiled. "Just believe in yourself!"

"Are you scaling down to platitudes now, Ange?" Barbara rolled her eyes at her friend. "Down your tea, it's time to get some sleep..."

* * *

Not too late that night they went to bed. Fortunately the next day they should all meet only at ten so they would be well rested. Even Angela had to show up in her department late that day.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Please have a little patience before the next chapters are posted :-)


	12. You've Got Mail

**A/N:** After a short excursion into another world *winks* I'm back with Psycho. So, here we go again. Ah, ... **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **You've Got Mail**

 **.**

* * *

Days went by and turned into weeks. For the Detective officers the world spun around with their usual tasks after the debriefing of 'the horrid incidents', even the ordinary bodies were found and some normal crimes and murders were to be solved. For them nothing extraordinary related to that terror attack had happened.

Eventually the incident was declared to be over and the police files officially closed though the investigations went on since they had not been able to locate the remaining two heads of that terror cell. The rest of it needed to be handled secretly and professionally and the Met was not involved anymore. DI Lynley now had been away in Cornwall for two weeks. He had needed to solve the never ending case of finding a new estate manager who would suit his mother and the estate as well, a few things with the horse business had to be handled personally and besides he really had needed a break. He needed to get his head cleared and think about what sort of feelings he harboured for the exceptional woman he was working with. Or rather explore how deep those well named feelings really go.

At the moment she was forced into the role of acting DI, so far he had learned from the e-mails and text messages he had exchanged with Barbara quite regularly in the last few days, increasing in number and private details. They had even exchanged text messages the entire previous day, he remembered chuckling about first their banter and then their disagreement about some case detail and later their flirtatious messages in the evening when they had informed each other of what they had been doing for distraction. They had both opened a bottle of wine and watched the same unrealistic police film on TV and simultaneously had become quite tipsy doing so. The last good night wish was rather unseemly, he thought now.

* * *

 _\- Sleep well and dream of me!_ . he had texted.

She had found it quite cheeky and had enjoyed it. Still she could not give in.

 _= I avoid dreaming + there is still some wine left in that bottle :-D_ . she had answered.

 _\- You drink too much ._

 _= HAHA - look who's talking ._

 _\- In bed now. Mother has prohibited to drink in bed ._

 _= I'm allowed. I'm a grown up girl ._

 _\- Oh yes! You are indeed a grown up girl!_ . he had answered and written a second message immediately.

 _\- I can see that every day! ._

She had not answered so he almost had thought she was asleep by then. Or embarrassed. He had written another message.

 _\- I enjoy that wonderful sight every day at the office and count the days until I'm back at work. Have a good sleep. You did a great job today. Dream of DI ._

He had not completely typed the correction [ _Dream of BECOMING a DI_ ] when he had received her answer.

 _= Will do. Miss you here_ .

Originally she had meant to say that she missed him at the office but actually she also missed him after work (and especially where she was right in that moment) so she had not sent more about that.

While he still had been thinking what he should answer to that or if he just should call her only to hear her real voice saying good night she let another text message follow.

 _= And keep your hands above the blankets ;-D ._

Tommy had laughed out loudly into his pillow before he answered.

\- _You know me too well ;-P Miss you too! ._

* * *

Tommy still had had his mobile in his hands when he had woken up the next day. The very first thought when Barbara had woken up the next day was about Tommy and she almost had stayed in bed. She could not decide between embarrassment and joy and had pulled the blanket above her face for a few more minutes. In the end she had thought it best to ignore and forget the conversation and heaved herself out of the bed.

 _Ignore it and forget it, Barbara._ Of course she could not.

* * *

 _Acting DI..._ he now thought standing at the window in the grand hall playing absentminded with his mother's dog. Obviously and without him knowing Barbara had passed her exams quite a while ago and all other DIs were busy with some other cases so their new Chief Super had held a gun to her head and told her to do either this job or overthink her future in the Met. She obviously had needed that kick in her backside.

Tommy was so proud that she had come this far and he really thought that she should become a proper DI as soon as possible. In London of course, since he actually did not want her to leave the city. Selfishly he did not want her to leave _him_ if he was honest. _Maybe this was the reason she had not made the next step after the exam? Maybe she wanted to stay... with me?_ Could he really dare to think she had done the same he had? He should ask her in one of his next e-mails when he would tell her of the birth of the unplanned foal this morning.

Until then he just would think of what she might be wearing at the oncoming Metropolitan Police Summer Ball when he knew she would have no excuse not to show up. Probably she would be in dress uniform and feel uncomfortable and out of place. He could not understand why because she looked utterly sexy in that uniform. He looked forward to seeing her in it once more. He looked forward to that entire night despite every little mocking remark his pesky sister might give about his dreamy eyes. He threw the dog's toy at Judith.

Siblings...

* * *

The day went by with only three work related e-mails and no word about their nightly flirt. Barbara still could not decide if she should be embarrassed about her boldness or be happy about his so she avoided the topic. At least in her e-mails - her mind played a different version of that song. One other day though, with Lynley still for a few days more in Cornwall and the bloody double murder still unsolved, she came home late finding a precious envelope in her mail box. At first she thought it was an invitation to some of Lynley's posh functions but then she swallowed hard when she saw the Royal Coat of Arms and read the sender.

Not daring to hold it too tight she almost dropped it before she carefully placed it on her coffee table - not before she wiped the space clean with the sleeve of her parka. With shaking hands she put the kettle on in the kitchen and laboriously hung her coat on a hook in the hall. Every time she passed that envelope she eyed it suspiciously. It crossed her mind to call Lynley before opening the letter but then the kettle whistled and with a cup of tea she sat down in front of the ominous envelope a bit later.

Since staring at it would not reveal its contents she finally was able to read the letter. _Then_ she called Lynley.

* * *

"Sir?" was all she managed to say after he joyfully had answered his phone. Her voice betrayed her and she had to fight back the tears.

 _"Yes, Barbara?"_ he slowly answered slightly anxious. _"Is everything alright?"_

His familiar voice soothed her mind and slowed her pounding heart immediately so she could tell him.

"Sir, I've received a letter."

 _"Yes?"_ He was very patient.

"From the Queen's office."

 _"Oh, really."_ He did not sound too surprised. _"And?"_

"It's... I'm... " Barbara deeply inhaled and closed her eyes. "She wants to award me, along with others of course. I'm not the only one who'd be honoured. And I actually shouldn't tell anybody but close members of my family. Well, you somehow _are_ something like that. There'll be the official announcement of course. And a reception. But I couldn't go! I mean... I couldn't actually attend a reception... at the Palace, I mean, it's-"

 _"Barbara, hold on a second. I assume '_ she' _is our Queen, but what do you mean with 'she wants to award you'?"_ The smile in Tommy's voice was audible. He probably already knew more than Barbara had thought.

"She wants to award me with the George Medal, could you believe it?"

 _"That's wonderful!"_ Now Lynley smiled broadly. Barbara still could hear it when he told her to go over to her kitchen _"Look in your fridge on the shelf with the sauces and behind that row of half empty ketchup bottles."_ Barbara got up and did what she was told. _"Got it?"_

"Sir?" When had he placed that bottle of champagne there?

 _"I've put it there after the Commissioner himself had told me that he had received the answer to his letter. About_ you _it was saying something like "the Queen is informed and will consider the suggestion". As far as I know this could be translated with a 'yes'. Now, have you managed to open that bottle?"_

Ignoring his question Barbara put the champagne loudly onto the worktop. Of course she had not even tried to open it. "So, are you tryin' to tell me that you knew that...? That you even had suggested...? Are you ... _daft_ ...Sir?!"

 _"Well, actually all DIs were asked to name their colleagues who did something outstanding during this... umm... operation. The Commissioner usually mentions some of those in a yearly report to the Crown or after some extraordinary singularities like this and sometimes he suggests a few to be awarded with our internal awards or mentions extraordinary outstanding performances in addition. Well, and sometimes_ she _wishes to honour some with something more. Like_ you _will be honoured now."_

"For _what_ should _I_ be honoured, Sir?"

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** I've searched and asked several people but I still don't know if the plain clothes wearing detectives in the UK do wear dress uniforms on special occasions like when being awarded or at state funerals for one of their colleagues or on police balls with official presentations. In my story they do. If not - now it's too late to change it ;-) I also have done some research and learned a bit about and how and to whom the Queen is giving medals so this part (later you will learn more about it of course) is not too far away from reality. Apart from the fact of course that this entire thing is fiction anyway :-D


	13. The Fast And The Furious

**Author's special notes:** First of all: Thank you all for your reviews!

 **Special thanks to Philf** that I've finally got the information about the dress uniforms :-D And as to the GM: As far as I've learned the George CROSS is the highest civilian award (correct me if I'm wrong). I've read in the lists of recipients of the QPM, the GM and the GC what they had done to deserve the honour and then I decided on GM instead of QPM - just because it is not the lowest and not the highest). Of course most will get the lower medal, and the higher the award the fewer recipients there are and the more honourable the deeds were, but in the end this here is a fictional thing so I think even if I had given her the Victoria Cross it would do no harm ;-) In the end and in real life Her Majesty is the one who decides at the discretion of herself and who am I to question that...

* * *

 **A/N:** I'm filling a part of the gap in chapter 10. So this is something like a flashback. **  
**

Part 1

* * *

 **.**

 **The Fast And The Furious**

 **.**

* * *

 _Nobody had expected that something would happen_ there _since it was no really important institute and really far out of the inner city. But it is as it is – one should always expect the unexpected._

 _So, what had happened?_

* * *

After the first simultaneous strikes out of the blue in three crowded underground stations the city was oddly calm for two days. Something was about to happen soon. Their first "success" had been too small to leave it at that. Meanwhile the forces knew that there was a small group of men and women who were sabotaging London's underground, six already had died in the suicide bombings and three had been arrested and now quenched to give as much information about what would follow next. The group still existed and there still were too much of them in fact but not as much as the forces that were chasing them, that is the _rest_ of them, and not as much as they would have needed to attack every chosen target simultaneously.

Detective officers were summoned to protect unlikely targets in outer areas, so DI Lynley, DS Havers, DC Nkata and 3 more DCs plus a small squad of armed officers were in the area in and around a municipal boarding school and college complex in an outer suburb next to two tube stations on each side of the huge modern institute. Of course the detectives wore their bulletproof vests too and even had been granted to be armed with the Glock 26 for the purpose of self-defence if they wanted. Most of them wanted. Barbara, together with two PCs, was positioned inside the porter lodge of the primary school of that complex. Where else should she be but near the smallest children. Outside and openly the usual Bobbies, three in total at that entrance, two more than usual due to the terror attack, were surveying the area where a few parents already were waiting and a school bus had arrived.

It looked like it was an ordinary day shortly before the end of the last lesson.

* * *

Barbara sipped at her tea and yawned while she looked out of the window through the half closed sun-blinds. She watched a man who was waiting nearby. He did not talk with other parents who were collecting their kids. The entire time Barbara looked he never had changed a word with them. She realised that he in fact stood a bit off side, almost continually with a mobile phone at his ear and looking at his watch several times. When the school's tower clock gave one chime to announce the full hour and everybody inside knew that the school bell would go in five minutes he just had finished a call apparently having said just a few words so now Barbara thought that it looked as if he had given a signal. With a last quick look at the school's open door he went down the stairs to the station. Now Barbara was sure he was no waiting father.

From the beginning of her observation she had reported to the other PCs and over the radio also to the headquarters what she had seen so now she had asked for another squad as support but when she heard the first kids coming down the corridors she quickly had to make a decision. Most of the pupils would have taken the tube or the bus since their parents were commoners and - whatever the general situation in London was at the moment - still had to be at work so only a few were able to collect their children. Barbara assumed an attack in the tube station under the school and even if it would turn out to be a false alert she could cope with the derision of her colleagues and even with a reprimand for unnecessarily startling the forces and the civilians. But if there really was something going on down there she never would be able to forgive herself.

She pressed the button of the PA system.

* * *

The colleagues in the other porter lodges were informed, the other tube station had been cleared, the PCs closed the doors of the primary school and Barbara had informed the entire complex over the PA system that this was a special training and pupils, students and teachers had to return to their respective classrooms where they should await new orders. The other schools and colleges closed their doors too, the parents who had been waiting outside were ushered inside, the bus was sent away. Meanwhile in the background the tube's office had been called too. Somewhere a few stations before here an armed squad was sent into the train to check it. In fact Barbara had been right. They found four small hidden IEDs in the footplate of the locomotive which were secured to be defused later. They also spotted another terrorist who had entered the tube in order to blast it with a suitcase bomb after it was filled with all the pupils and students. The officers at that school learned of this only later.

Barbara was in the porter's lodge of a back entrance in fact. There was a bigger entrance on the other side of the complex which was more intensely guarded since nobody really had expected something to happen at the primary school, if they had expected something at all, but the man in front of Barbara's guard post obviously had been the one who had given the signal which train the man with the suitcase should have entered. Downstairs in the station that usually was deserted, except for times when the pupils and students arrived or left, CCTV told the observing unit that the platform was clear apart from that single man. He waited behind a pillar, apparently knowing where to stand so that CCTV would not catch him properly.

Above the pavement everyone had gone into the building and should have stayed there, safe inside, but when Barbara looked out of the window by chance she saw a tiny first- or second-former running across the street to the station, looking back across his shoulder as if he knew exactly that he should not leave now. Apparently he had escaped through some window. DI Lynley had called his Sergeant, wanting to know what on earth she thought she was doing, announcing such a disturbing 'training', causing such a bloody unnecessary commotion. He was on his way from the other side of the building to her lodge. Now, without any more explanation, he only heard a hasty "Be right back." before the line was disconnected. Barbara tossed her mobile onto the desk, put on the huge black coat from the (sorry) quite fat porter to hide her bullet proof vest and went after the boy.

Her DI just stared at his silent mobile in disbelief while he hurried down endless corridors.

* * *

Barbara had just left the building when Lynley entered the lodge so he only could see her disappearing down the stairs to the underground station.

"No!" Tommy desperately whispered.

His face turned white. It displayed the deep concern he had for that woman. He would have followed her if he was not forcefully held back by Winston who then explained what she was about to do, that there was a small boy who had escaped the lock-in, that Barbara wanted to collect him, hopefully before he would have reached the platform. Then he saw the concern in his DI's usually steely professional eyes, the desperation and the un-hidden fear that something could happen to Barbara. In that moment Nkata knew it for sure.

He patted a soothing hand on Tommy's shoulder and said "You should tell her."

Winston earned a quizzical look from his boss so he nodded. "With all due respect, Sir, but it's obvious." Turning away from him he added mumbling "And it's clearly mutual." He left a nervous and confused Detective Inspector behind.

* * *

Misfortune wanted it that Barbara only stopped the boy when he already just had arrived on the platform. He had not responded to her calling him but now she quickly and secretly displayed her badge and explained in a very low voice why they should leave here immediately. Unfortunately the man already had recognised the two.

Making a step forward he addressed them with the casual question if school was out. In order to appear normal Barbara put a calming hand on the boy's shoulder when she turned to the terrorist. Inconspicuously she stood between them, shielding the boy, answering positive that the pupils probably would come rushing down the stairs in an instant. When she turned with a nod and a plastered smile and wanted to leave the man still asked "You're not taking the tube?"

She dared not to stop walking now and only turned her head backwards with another smile. Her brain was working in high speed. What could she tell him?

"No." she explained. "His father had called to say he'd pick up John for a spontaneous visit to the zoo." And turning to the boy, whose shoulder must be aching by now from her firm grip steering him away from the platform and towards the stairs, she added "What a lucky boy you are, John."

As soon as they were out of sight she lifted the trembling boy and they rushed the remaining stairs upwards. Later Barbara said that she was almost dying for fear in that moment down there.

* * *

Together they quickly returned to the school. The boy, actually named Michael, had started to constantly weep since they had reached the upper platform so before they entered the porter's lodge Barbara pulled him into a quiet corner of the entrance hall and asked if he was okay so far.

"I didn't know I was doin' such a bad thing." Michael choked. "Are you arrestin' me now, Miss?"

"Of course not!" He sniffed and Barbara gave him a soft tissue. She ruffled through his hair and after introducing herself and asking his real name she explained that the man down in the tube's station was a criminal and that this was why all pupils had to stay inside. "Why had you escaped nonetheless, Michael?"

Michael sobbed again and hesitantly explained that he had climbed through the window of the boy's toilet room because he had needed to catch the first tube to get to his mother who was in hospital at the moment and should be taken in theatre this afternoon. "I've promised to visit her before that." he whispered. Barbara almost started to cry too.

Without much thinking she took him into the lodge, took off the huge coat and quickly explained to Winnie what had happened, what she was going to do and why and what he should tell Lynley who - lucky for her - had been called to the headmaster's office. Somehow she was glad he had not been there to hold her back. Then she picked up the little boy again and rushed outside to one of the police cars. Like it was a taxi cab they sat in the back seats and Barbara ordered the officer where he should drive to.

"And hurry up."

Despite the ominous and tense situation the little boy smiled broadly. Does not every little boy dreams of driving in a police car with high speed, sirens and blue lights?

Since DC Nkata had informed her inofficially via mobile phone that the situation at the school and in the tube was under control and that she still should better keep out of the DI's sight she stayed with the boy until his mother was brought in theatre and after that she brought him home before returning to New Scotland Yard.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Let me sum this up: Another assault (on school kids!) was prevented by Barbara reporting her observations, a few more of those attacker group were neutralised, every pupil had been safe the entire time, a boy was rescued from further harm by her unselfishly running after and protecting him alone. Yes, I think even if this was reality Her Majesty may have made the decision to give her the GM instead of the QPM. ;-)


	14. 2 Fast 2 Furious

**A/N:** Something stupidly brave... LOLZ :-D

Here's Part 2 **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **2 Fast 2 Furious**

 **.**

* * *

While Barbara and the boy had arrived in the building the events underground followed in quick succession. The train arrived, a squad, previously having pinned the man with the suitcase inside and having secured the other passengers in the furthermost waggons, stormed onto the platform and before the man was able to realise the entire situation and hit the button on the remote control the CCTV observing unit had reported, he was shot dead. No bomb exploded that day.

Except for the bomb in Lynley's office later.

After he was informed that she had returned to New Scotland Yard he had called Barbara in. Since his concern meanwhile had made place for anger about her thoughtless actions he may have approved of her observations and her foresight first but then only rebuked her for disobeying orders once again and putting herself into danger. He did not know how to put in words that he had feared he could lose her so he just dressed her down.

"I'm not quite sure yet what to make of it since you've actually rescued that boy and kept the terrorist in the dark. Nonetheless I wasn't really pleased with the situation." He gave her an intense look full of general pain and something Barbara could not decipher completely. Somehow she would have said that he looked fondly at her. Proud somehow, and happy that all went so well, but still with a little fear that it could have gone seriously wrong. "I wouldn't want something like this happen again, is that understood." He almost rasped.

"Yes, Sir. Neither would I, Sir." Barbara looked down on his desk and blushed. She already felt tears starting to dwell again and she knew that she would ask Angela to join her tonight after work. Reality finally sunk in deeply and she was more than agitated. Of course she would have preferred to be taken in Tommy's arms again and be soothed like she had been a few years ago. She just wanted to cry loudly into his chest. She wanted to feel his arms around her and his cheek on her head. And this time, she swore to herself, she would not let him go. She would try to encourage him to- _Ah, bloody...!_ A tear rolled down her cheek and she quickly got up. He would not do any of this and his office was not the place where she would start to cry.

"Sorry, Sir." she croaked.

* * *

She ran to the Ladies and did not care at all how it looked with her running from his office and him calling after her. After all it was not happening for the first time.

"Barbara, stay! Please!" He had called her back but she had not heard it or had not wanted to hear it. It did not matter. When the door fell close Tommy just groaned and let his head bump onto his desk. "You're an idiot, Lynley!" he muttered onto the papers.

After returning from the sanitary rooms Barbara made it pretty quick with her bloody paperwork. Undisturbed by Winnie who was particularly quiet this evening she just scribbled down some notes of the day's events and called it a day quite early without seeing her boss again because Lynley did not dare to come out of his office for the rest of the day and only left when just the nightshift still was there. When Angela had come around late Winnie also had dropped his pen and had brought the two women home, seeing that His Lordship obviously was not in the mood.

After work Barbara had a long night of talking with Angela.

* * *

It was definitely without wine this time but with a big bowl of double chocolate ice cream and many tears about missed chances, inexplicably difficult relationships with her own parents, her experiences with them being in hospital or in the nursing home, the loss of her brother, Lynley's loss of a child, the absence of a family and children of her own. And the chance being prone to zero that she will ever have even one single child, being 38 already and without a husband or even a man in her life and what a bloody life this is in general. As expected she was psyched up by Angela saying something like it's not too late, she's not too old, there are horses for courses and so on. Muttered words, soothing pats, offered tissues.

Some of Barbara's deepest feelings surfaced and the tension of the day's events dissolved in her tears. And finally her general grief of not having someone at all broke out with a vengeance.

"You mean not having Tommy." Angela smiled encouraging, glad that Barbara was a bit calmer now, so she tried a light joke. "I mean, you have me to talk to..."

Barbara sadly grinned. "I'm happy about that, Angela, but I want someone to love. Someone to come home to."

"Someone to be with for 24 hours and 7 days a week?"

The poor mess that was the usually very strong appearing Detective Sergeant nodded with eyes already brimming with tears.

Angela sighed. "To me it seems easier than you think. You should just relax a bit concerning that aspect. In my opinion it looks as if you already could have him 24/7. If you just let him. Maybe you should just show little, or better _clear_ signs that you _do_ want him, that you _do_ want to let him behind the last walls around your heart. That you _do_ want to let him into the innermost best hidden corner of it. Like I told you, he's hesitantly anxious like you are."

"Of course not." Barbara choked and then whispered "He's had his chance earlier when he'd called me to his office, but no... Mister Detective Inspector only had to shout at me..."

"I bet he simply was overpowered by emotions too. You've put yourself into such a danger down there. He might have lost you."

"Then why wasn't he just happy that everything went well?"

"Oh, he was, of that I'm sure." Angela stroked Barbara's back but the tears still would not stop running.

"Then why couldn't he just have taken me in his arms?" Barbara sobbed.

"Maybe you just should have asked?"

"Of course... haha." Barbara rolled her wet eyes.

"Barb, he's as inhibited as you. You know, wooing is one thing. The next step you need to make will be one giant leap forward. For both of you. It will change everything, I think he's afraid of that, afraid of making this step and ruining everything you have. But one of you _should_ make this step. Soon. Otherwise it's breaking you both..."

For a little while longer Angela let Barbara talk and grumble and cry and complain and object since she knew that was what she needed the most now. So the psycho mostly kept her tongue and only added a few reassuring words until they finally both fell asleep in Barbara's bed again - totally unaware that they had a guard.

* * *

Tommy had stood outside her house until he had seen the lights being turned off. He still had stood there for a few more minutes before driving home. Previously he finally had talked himself out of going in. He already had been afraid to come around and when he had seen Angela's car, an old Volkswagen Golf Cabrio with the plate number P57CH0, he knew his beloved Sergeant was in good hands and he probably only would be an intruder to this woman-to-woman talk. So he simply had waited outside and had watched the lights in Barbara's window, thinking about what had brought him here and why he just could not go inside. Why he just could not simply knock at her door and take over from the psychotherapist. He actually longed to take Barbara in his arms and reassure her that she had done the right thing, that he was entirely proud of her, that he was sorry for the scene in his office. That he was sorry for so many things he had not done or had done wrong. He wanted to rock her to sleep and watch her the entire night. He wanted to be there when she would wake up and grumble for a coffee. A bitter smile flashed across his face.

 _Nothing like this will ever happen if you don't go inside, you idiot._

When the lights had gone out and Angela had not driven home he finally cursed himself for being such a bloody coward. She should not need a psychotherapist, even if that was her best friend. She should have some broad shoulder to cry on. She should have some strong male arms to hold her. She should have him. And he did not care how selfish that sounded. On his way home the usually well-mannered Inspector had been so angry about himself that he even had showed his middle finger to a poor someone whose right of way he had ignored speeding back to his entirely empty house. His nerves were strained to their limit and he could not even drown his self-pity in alcohol.

He stayed awake for most of the night and thought about himself failing as her friend, failing once more in acting the right way with the woman he was in love with. But mostly he thought of Barbara.

* * *

But when DI Lynley picked up his Sergeant and the psychotherapist on the next morning both police officers' confidence ostensibly was restored and they were ready to face another day. They had to function. They did somehow.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Drama, baby, drama... ;-)

I'd like to add that everything in chapters 13 and 14 is purely fictional - the places, the events, the persons. And I don't want something like this happen anywhere, anytime, to anybody. Except, of course, for the rescue...

* * *

Ah, I've changed another bit in a previous chapter. It has to do with Tommy bringing her home. As you can see, I've let him stay brooding in his office but had mentioned earlier that he had brought her home. This has changed now into Barbara and Angela being brought home by Winston. In chapter 11 I've just changed the one sentence mentioning that but you don't have to read it again.


	15. Day & Night

**A/N:** Just a short film... err... short chapter... We're back in the present. **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **Day & Night  
**

 **.**

* * *

 _"For_ what _should_ I _be honoured, Sir?"_

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 _"You know for what, Barbara."_ Lynley had endured Barbara's outburst at the phone. He actually had expected something like that. _"She's honouring your brave decision of disobeying your own order to stay inside of that school."_

"Yah, like you said, Sir, it was stupid."

 _"It was the right decision. So I may have argued with you about it at my office but after I had thought it over and cooled down my anger that you have thrown yourself into such a danger where I might lose you... umm... "_ He paused to rearrange his thoughts. _"Well, I would_ not _have wanted to choose a new companion..."_ Tommy cleared his throat. _"Well, after I've realised your bravery I simply mentioned your deed."_

A long silence followed in which Barbara stared at the head of the letter and at its signature.

"Why?" she whispered eventually and thought _Why did you do this? I'm just Havers, doing my job._

 _"Because you deserve it."_ he softly answered and thought _And I love you.  
_

"Bollocks. Actually every single one of our colleagues deserves to be honoured."

 _"That's right. Everybody did a great job. But_ you _were the one who set off the alarm for that "_ _ _special training". And__ you _ _were the one who_ ran down there unprotected to save that boy."_

"I've had my vest on under the porter's coat."

 _"You know that they know that they had to aim at the head."_

"Gosh, please don't remind me..." Barbara's voice was only a whisper now.

 _"Ah, my dear Barbara, why don't you just open that bottle of champagne?"_

Her mobile buzzed and finally she had to laugh. Since she was calling him on landline he had made a selfie with a glass of champagne in one hand and the handset clamped between his cheek and his shoulder. He looked quite crazy but he cheered her and his genuine tender smile made her knees go weak. She had not seen him for more than two weeks now.

Barbara opened the bottle.

* * *

CHINK

* * *

"F**k!" _  
_

 _"What was that?"_

"A cork destroyin' the lamp. I... wait a second..."

Barbara poured herself a glass of that expensive bubbly and made a selfie before she picked up her handset again.

"I was a bit distracted by a picture message sent by a ridiculous Cornish Lord. But now I've got me a glass."

 _"Well, cheers then."_

"Cheers, Sir."

When she heard him suddenly laughing she knew he had received the picture of her, lit only by the dim living room lamp, in front of the dark and broken lamp in the kitchen and with a water glass to the brim full with champagne, toasting towards the camera with a broad smile.

 _"So, you're going to cope with it then?"_

"I don't know yet, Sir. Probably I do. Like I've coped with every stumbling block bumping into my life. I survived your reprimands, didn't I? So this..."

 _"...will be an easy task?"_

"Something like that. Maybe I have to call Angela. I mean, she's the best available companion for draining that bottle of champagne..." Barbara laughed.

 _"Give my regards to the doctor. Don't drink too much. And don't stay up late."_

Barbara closed her eyes and pictured him with his phone and the expensive bubbly, smiling out of the huge window, probably the dog standing next to his leg and a fire crackling in the background.

"Yes, Sir." she almost whispered. "Good night." _You'll be in my dreams..._

 _"Sleep well, Barbara." I'll dream of you...  
_

Both made no attempt to disconnect and for a few seconds they just heard each other breathing. There was so much she would have wanted to say, there was so much he would have liked to tell her. Neither of them spoke nor ended the call for another few seconds but then Barbara heard a door on the other side of the line before his voice was heard again with a much more professional tone now.

 _"Well, then, good night and sweet dreams."_

Of course she knew that he already had ended the call when she whispered "Same to you... Tommy."

Of course she had called Angela again.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	16. All Creatures Great And Small

**A/N:** I obviously tend to tell the story in a retrospective way because while I write there are so many more ideas running through my head ;-) And yes, I know the previous chapter really was short but it was only to tie up the loose end of their conversation. Here comes a longer one... **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **All Creatures Great And Small  
**

 **.**

* * *

The Earl of Asherton unfortunately had to prolong his stay at his estate in Cornwall for another two weeks up to a full month of absence from work. First he was thrown from his 'bloody nervous stallion' and sprained his foot a bit so he would not have been able to drive back to London with his car and would have stayed at home for a week or so anyway. The next thing was the little new born foal getting the flu so because it was his dearest horse since it had looked into the sun for the first time in its unplanned life he needed to stay until _Behave_ (or better B. Have. in Tommy's mind) was jumping across the meadows again.

Originally it had been named Surprise of Cadryth, that was what was written in its papers, but it was an unusually small red mare with black socks and the first signs of enormous feathering at his fetlocks - probably from her father - a tiny star shaped blaze between the eyes and with its own very stubborn head so he had constantly called out "Behave!" when he had tried to exercise its mother on the paddock so it somehow had kept that name. Lady Asherton wisely had said nothing but just had cocked an eyebrow when Tommy had talked about it in the tack room. Only Judith had poked her fun on her brother connecting the red haired foal and its name to a certain strawberry blonde woman of a quite similar name.

"And behaviour..." Judith had laughed loudly at that pun. "Shy with everyone but you..." Seeing her brother's face turn blank she had added with a broad grin "You can't get your head off her, dear brother, can you?"

For a brief second Tommy had wanted to object but then again, he knew that his sister was right. "And if so?" he had barked and had stormed out of the stables. Crossing the barn he had decided to go on in the offensive and had texted a message to his Sergeant.

 _\- This red foal is as subordinate as you. I call it 'B. Have.' ;-) .  
_

 _= None of your cheek sir! .  
_

 _\- Angry? .  
_

 _= Flattered :-P .  
_

This had been the start of their daily private text message sessions next to their work related e-mails.

* * *

Ten days prior to the Metropolitan Police Summer Ball Lynley came back to the office finding his Sergeant, still in the role as acting DI, being away with Nkata and conducting the investigations of a series of murders in the wonderful but obviously dangerous Yorkshire Dales National Park*. Tommy actually longed to see her again. He wanted progress. He wanted to finally tell her what he had thought about while he was at Howenstow. He did not want to tell her via e-mail or phone though he really had enjoyed that, especially their flirting. He wanted to see her reaction. He wanted to act.

Tommy actually had not thought about _how_ he would tell her that he loved her. He could not just stand in front of her and say something like "Hello Havers, you know what? I love you." Or could he? _Well, something like that. I'd call her Barbara, of course. But it should be at a romantic dinner. Or after one._ He looked at his calendar. Two weeks to the ball. _It should be before that. Should I drive up north to help her? I know a nice little restaurant in York. We could... Nah, better not. This would look pretty... odd. And she's capable of being the leader of an investigation, she'd proven it with that tricky thing here during the past weeks. She had to be promoted after the ball._ He sighed. It would mean that they would stop working together. Another reason that there had to be some progress in their relationship. If they were working separately he would have no other excuses to see her as often as he wanted. _As often as she hopefully would have me around. If she would want me around at all. We can't go on flirting via text messages, as alluring and easy it might sound. I should start flirting with her openly and maybe she-_

"Sir?" Henderson poked his head through the door. DI Lynley startled.

"Couldn't you just knock, Constable?" He sounded a bit angry, being interrupted in his wonderful daydreams about Barbara.

"Well, I've knocked three times and called you from outside. Forgive me that I was a bit worried, Sir."

"Hm. Yah, well... What's the matter, Henderson?"

The DC waved with a file. "Concerning that Carson incident, Sir..."

 _Bloody work._

* * *

Barbara had been in Hawes for the previous days and had helped the local CID arresting the murderer of three men and four sheep and now had returned to London. She and Winnie had been up there with one of the Met's cars and so the day of her return, after dropping Winnie off at his home and returning the car to the car pool, she first went to the office and decided on finishing the bloody paperwork before she had planned to go home. She was too busy the entire day to think about the moment she would be seeing her boss again.

So now she entered the office with her duffle bag sensing a hint of an aftershave she had not smelled for quite a while now. Suddenly her heart raced. Suddenly with every fibre of her body she knew that she would meet him soon. Will it be awkward after all those flirtatious texts they had exchanged? Will it be as friendly and casually as it always was? _Will he just take me in his arms and kiss me?_ Barbara blushed a bit. _Oh, get a grip, stupid girl!_ Straightening her shoulders she pulled the last door open. _  
_

As chance would have it her boss was in the middle of a conversation with Henderson at the Constable's desk in the open plan office. He looked up when she had entered the room with a cheery "Hello, everybody!" and instantly his face lit up.

"Barbara!" he almost rejoiced. With wide open arms he strode across the room and Barbara only had the time to drop her bag before she was pulled into a close hug.

 _An innocent, friendly hug._ Barbara was slightly disappointed but then remembered where they were. Of course DI Lynley could not take DS Havers, acting DI, into a loving embrace in the middle of the office and before the eyes of all their colleagues, nor could he kiss her like she might have wanted. Like he almost had. The disappointment disappeared when she felt his hands stroking down to the small of her back. It sent shivers down her spine and she involuntarily closed her eyes.

After an inappropriately long embrace - not too matey at all - Tommy held her an arm's length away from his chest and watched her with happy twinkling eyes.

 _Kiss me!_ her mind and eyes pleaded.

 _I want nothing more but to kiss you!_ his tender eyes told her.

"You look good with those pips, DI Havers." His hand brushed over her shoulder, cleaning the imaginary Order of the Bath stars there.

"I'm still Sergeant, Sir, I only had kept your chair warm." They shared another affectionate smile before they let go of each other. Everything else really would have been beyond decency, even for working partners who are the closest of friends. Barbara placed her stuff at the desk she now had to sit at again since the owner of the office she had used during his absence was back now. Boiling hot she remembered the mess she had left on it when she had been ordered to Yorkshire.

When they heard his telephone ringing Lynley turned and left. "Meet me in my office soon, Havers!" he smiled back at her.

* * *

Quicker than Barbara had intended to do it she filled in the necessary forms and added only a few additional words to the reports she already had typed tonight and then she rushed to Lynley's office.

She found her... well, _his_ desk as messy as she had left it. Just a small space was cleaned where the DI had placed a file he was just reading when Barbara had entered.

"I thought you might need something in this... untidiness." Tommy apologised. _And it constantly had reminded me of you._ "So I've left it like I've found it. Do sit down, Barbara. Tell me, how was it up there?"

With a cup of tea she told him about the horrible murders in that magnificent landscape. There actually was not much left to be told what she had not already written in her e-mails but he let her talk just to hear her voice. Meanwhile their eyes had a different conversation. While she marvelled about the beauty of the hills her eyes told him that she had missed him, that she would have liked to share it with him. When he asked how the local beer was and if she was having after-work pints with her colleagues his eyes told her that he had drunk too much without her. After preparing another cup of tea and giving her the mug their fingers brushed and both faces lit up with the joyful expression that they had longed for having those touches again. Barbara's eyes told him that she preferred him sitting next to her instead of seeing him entrenched behind his desk. Tommy's sad face told her that he was not happy about his decision to return onto his chair and would have liked to sit on the small sofa at the wall where his eyes darted to.

"Tomorrow I'll tidy that up." Barbara suddenly said pointing her chin at the messy furniture between them.

Tommy raised an eyebrow. _As if I'd care! I'm too happy that I have something of you..._ "Barbara-"

A knock at his door disturbed their recovered togetherness. "What?" Lynley barked. Then added resigning "Yes, come in."

Henderson came in and waved with a paper. Sir, Ma'am, just in - body found in the park. One of you has to..."

With a silent look and a nod Tommy and Barbara agreed on working together, whatever her position might be. A consultation call to the Chief Super confirmed that she still was acting DI but yes, they were allowed to work on that case together.

Coequally.

* * *

Two days later and after the first important tasks on that new case were done, the first things settled, the first suspects spotted, the first troubles of a new case soothed, Tommy found the courage to ask Barbara out for dinner. He had chosen a nice restaurant, not too fancy but not too casual too, which Barbara had liked before and they really had a wonderful evening with just the right mixture of desultory conversation and companionable silence.

And once again nothing had happened but the usual and well-known little accidental touches. Though they exchanged knowing glances they both blushed each time. Tommy even stroked the back of her hand with his fingers on purpose and they even smiled at each other, but, like when Barbara had squeezed his hand during her story of what had happened with one of the sheep in her case in Yorkshire (nothing for the ears of non-detectives), they did not make more of it. Every time something like this happened, at one point one of them always lowered the eyes back to the plate or the waiter came around and asked if everything was okay (which it was not, of course, since he had disturbed them, stupid fool he was...) and the moment was gone. After dinner and over dessert Barbara was continually talking about her case in Yorkshire that she did not even protest when Tommy picked the raisins from her cake one by one, happily beaming at her enthusiasm, totally unaware of the fact that she only tried to overplay her nervousness now that the end of the dinner was approaching and he would soon bring her home.

Which would result in a wonderful moment, she hoped. They hoped. That moment came.

* * *

After a short drive in silence they arrived at her flat. Like he had done during the eventful week a month ago he stopped, jumped out of the car and gallantly helped her out of her seat, then he walked her to her door. Only this time he took her hand and bent down to give Barbara a kiss on her cheek.

"It was a wonderful evening, Barbara." he said with a low voice, still holding her hand, thinking that he had been a coward throughout this wonderful evening, but now, right now, he should give her a proper kiss on her lips. The way her fingers held on to his and the way her face was blushing and expectantly tilted up to him could only mean that she would not at all object. "I've missed that"

 _It's now or never!_ he thought and imperceptibly leaned into her.

Her mobile buzzed.

 _Not now!_ she thought and ignored it. This man in front of her was going to kiss her. Something she had dreamed of and hoped for and longed for. And she was going to let it happen and _nobody_ , not even the Queen herself, sorry Your Majesty, would be able to stop that now. Her eyes widened just a bit but otherwise she remained motionless. She even stopped breathing.

Her mobile buzzed again.

Barbara hesitated another moment before she slowly pulled that impertinent thing from her pocket and forcefully hit the green button.

"Yah?! Havers!" she harshly grunted.

She had waited for Tommy to continue what he obviously had been up to but he had done bloody nothing when her bloody mobile had bloody buzzed. _He probably never would._ Barbara turned a bit away from her boss and their hands disconnected. She could not quite focus on what the man on the line told her.

 _You're an idiot, Tommy!_ his mind screamed at him.

Another perfect moment was gone.

* * *

 _"Hello Havers, am I interrupting?"_ Lafferty's voice chirped on the other end of the line.

"You bet!" Barbara retorted. "What's up? Make it brief!"

The pathologist had just finished the final tests and examinations of the body and informed Barbara about the results.

"Wonderful." she ironically said to Tommy when she disconnected the call. "I need to drive back to the station, Lafferty has the results and I, or we, should go through the files as soon as possible because it probably has deep influence on the next steps, especially concerning our two female suspects."

She moaned.

"I'll come with you." Lynley offered.

"You don't need to, Sir. It's enough if one of us is lacking proper sleep tomorrow."

"No, Barbara, this is _our_ investigation and of course I go through the results with you."

In the end Barbara sent him home again after a quick skimming of the files.

"You go home, Sir, I'll finish this up to be presented to the team tomorrow." she said. "I couldn't sleep anyway."

"You think, _I_ could?" he sadly answered but left since everything was in good hands and something like a romantic mood would not come up anyway. Not after what they had read in the PM.

* * *

When he came back the next day he had the hell of a hangover.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, I know, a bit of a sharp turn at the end, but I wasn't able to brood more over it ;-)

*blends in the BBC logo and their melody* The next commercial break is sponsored by CRACKLE STATIC BEEP -levision, the most popular music broadcaster in the world. Turn up the volume and listen to some great songs!

* * *

*I've read their statistics of two years - the worst case in reality was an unarmed robbery ;-)


	17. The Horse Whisperer

**A/N:** Well, finally I've had enough time to go on writing. Sorry for the delay. Here we go again. Enjoy it!

* * *

 **.**

 **The Horse Whisperer**

 **.**

* * *

Unfortunately they had no real private moment until the ceremonial party.

The next day after he almost had kissed her Tommy nursed his hangover. Stupidly he had gone home alone, afraid that at the doorstep he had stepped over the invisible line between them and angry about himself that he had not kissed her but even more angry that he had not waited for Barbara until she had finished her work. He could have given her a ride home, maybe continue what he, or probably _they_ had started a few hours ago. But all he had done was driving home and sitting alone in his dark study where he had made good friends with a bottle of whisky.

It was of no great help when he had had to leave the office before Barbara came in that following day. She was late - no wonder after she had gone home at about 1:30 in the morning - and he had to pay a visit to an important witness. But there really was no excuse not to split up their work since at the moment they were co-equals and were supposed to work with the Sergeants.

Tommy and Barbara only had a few phone calls during the day which mostly were about work. After the question how they were today and the mutual assertion that everything was fine except for too less sleep, both avoiding to mention the elephant in the room, they had switched into professional mode. The brave DI Lynley had returned to being a coward and the shy acting DI Havers had returned into her shell. Both inwardly cursed themselves for being idiots.

* * *

After work when he was about to go home his mother called and kept him from asking Barbara out for a pint. The poor Lady Asherton had to endure her son's bad mood once more but there was an incident with the horse business down in Cornwall that could not wait so she needed to inform him about some appointments and errands to run the next day up there in London.

 _Brilliant!_ he thought. _Another day away from the office._ It would be another day where he would not get many opportunities to meet Barbara in private tomorrow. As if it was not hard enough that they had not seen each other today. And he could not quite just drop by at her flat, could he? When he came home that evening he went straight into his study, grabbed the whisky bottle and then poured the expensive stuff down the sink.

 _\- Too bad we havent met today. Drinking alone is no fun without you sharing a hangover the next day ;-) CU tomorrow, my DI. Sleep well! T X ._

He hit the send button before he could erase any of the text. In her flat relaxing on the bed Barbara chose to ignore the X. Probably it was a mistake anyway. She should not pitch her hopes too high, she told herself.

 _= Been a hard day running around. Already in bed. Sleep is well earned. Tmrw update. Missed our arguments. ._

 _And you..._ she thought but did not add that to the text.

 _\- Tmrw I have some horse stuff to handle. I meet you at 8. George Inn. Need some time with you or I get mad ._

Tommy had thought too long what to write so though his text was quite bold Barbara unfortunately already had fallen asleep and he received no answer until the next day. Her heart made a jump when she saw his words and she kept lying in bed for a little while longer, cuddling a bit with her spare pillow before she answered.

 _= Morning! I look forward for a coffee now and a pint at 8! B ._

* * *

Since (acting) DI Havers had to have some interviews with family members of the suspects she was out of house for almost the entire day again. Tommy met the business partners his mother had told him of and was not there too. He juggled with his private appointments and the things he had to do concerning their case. Somehow it worked and there was progress so every time he came to the white board to draw connecting lines and scribble down notes and results he could see what the other DI, it means Barbara, had learned about it.

During the day Barbara had tried to reach him on his mobile multiple times but always went straight to voicemail since she always hit the moments when he was with his business partners or somewhere where he could not answer. She did not leave a voice message and only texted him. When it was clear she would not be able to meet him at eight but at nine Lynley waited in his office for her to come back and then to go to the pub together. Unfortunately he received a call that summoned him to a meeting with Chief Superintendent Barlow and Assistant Commissioner Hillier and when he came back down to the white board at about a quarter past nine he just saw what Barbara had added there. It did not matter what time it was now because Barbara was away again. On his mobile, on silent mode during the meeting with Barlow and Hillier, he found the text that she would nick one of the suspects. Tommy almost tossed the innocent device across the room but then he saw a tiny red note in the bottom right corner of the board in the handwriting he knew so well:

 ** _T! 016657753269!_**

It was her mobile number and the Detective Inspector read between the lines that he should call his Sergeant. He wiped it off and almost whistling he went once more back to his office to have some privacy when he tried to call Barbara but like it had been for her the entire day his call now went straight to voicemail. He did not give up and decided he would wait for her return and until that would make himself busy with some paperwork.

Not a bit of it! His telephone rang again. He looked at the caller ID, groaned and answered.

"Mother!" _Of all people..._

 _"Hello, Tommy. You're still at your office? I just wanted to know about the contracts. If you don't mind, I'll stay at your house tonight? I have some-"_

"I'm busy, mother. I have a serious job here and we're close to finish this off. It was a long day and I really can't-"

His mother interrupted him. They argued a bit and in the end Lady Asherton had convinced her son that this horse contract may have come a bit unexpected and very inconvenient but was very important and would take an enormous weight off their shoulders so he finally went home. Before he left the office he placed a small note on Barbara's desk with a scribbled pint glass and the words _I OWE YOU ONE!_

Someday in a distant future he would see her again, he grumpily thought while he left the building and texted Barbara that they had to stall the pint because his mother blessed him with a visit.

 _\- As if today wasnt hectic enough :rolleyes: ._

 _It's pathetic!_ Barbara thought when she returned to her desk. The note from Tommy went straight into her wallet. The first O on it almost looked like an unsuccessful heart and she thought that an unsuccessful heart, deliberate or not, literally matched this entire day.

* * *

Coming home at about ten thirty she was there just in time to hear her mobile buzzing with a call from her boss. Barbara straightened her shoulders and took a deep breath before she answered.

"Havers!"

 _"I know that you know that it's me who's calling."_ he said with a grin. _"Because after all those years you finally have learned to look at the caller ID before you pick up."_

"Busted!" she laughed in reply. It was good to hear his voice. "It's just beloved bad habit to grunt my name."

In fact he loved to hear her grunting it like she used to do. _"How was your day?"_

"Aaah." she groaned and he heard the creaky sounds when she slumped down on her old sofa. "Busy like hell but we have that bloody idiot Marbone. Won't be long until he gives in. The night in the cell would do him good and tomorrow he'll be easy prey for you. It'll be nothing to make details pouring from his tongue."

 _"For_ me _? What about you?"_

"I'll have a day off. I've wanted to tell you throughout the day but I couldn't reach you. The Chief Super wants some of us, one of us is me by the way, to have time for some final preparations for the ball just to be sure that we get everything cleared. Last checks on the dress uniform and stuff. And he wants to meet those of the Service who will be honoured on the stage for the good work."

 _"Let me guess, you're one of them?"_ Tommy chuckled.

"You bet. Lucky me." Barbara groaned. "He wants to meet us to go through the last details of that bloody ceremony. I really don't want that fuss. On the stage... come on... that's superfluous!"

He imagined her picking invisible fluffs from her sofa, trying to play everything down. _"Try to think of it as a rehearsal for your meeting with the Queen."_

"Hell, don't remind me of that!"

They paused.

 _"So, did I get that right, we won't meet tomorrow?"_

"No."

 _"That's... bloody bad."_ he quietly confessed.

"Hmm. 't is."

Another pause filled the air.

 _"And what about the evening? Shall we try to hit the pub?"_

"I'd love to but..." Barbara sighed. "I've promised Mackie to help him with his uniform. Will be the first time he puts it on."

 _"So, you favour Mackie?"_ He tried to sound cheerful. It was without success.

"Oh, of course not, Tommy-" Quickly she had to recollect her thoughts after calling him by his name before she could go on. "I just could not stand his sweet puppy eyes. And he really looked horrified."

 _"Maybe later that evening?"_ His heart still jumped when he heard her saying his name, mostly almost accidentally, as if she had not intended to say it, and always with that sweet little shocked pause before she went on speaking when she realised she had done it again. _"I could make puppy eyes, too, if you want..."_

 _Oh, hell, please not! I'd dissolve..._ Barbara thought. "Probably it'll be very late, Sir, 'n' I've promised to go for a pint with him. He could do with some moral uplift."

 _"Too bad. I could do with some... your company... Call me when you've changed your mind?"_

"I'm afraid that won't happen. I've promised it to Mackie." She sighed, then swallowed. If only Tommy had been there today. "And he had asked first."

"Yah, I wasn't there." Tommy grumbled. "Bloody horses."

"Don't say that. You love 'em..."

 _Not as much as..._ he thought. For a little while they talked about his mother's visit. It was a good excuse to keep him from telling her what he really loved. With a joke he ended their conversation and wished her a good night. "You dream of young Mackie, I assume?"

"Of course, Sir!" she laughed and thought that she probably would dream of Tommy. "Sleep well. And dream of horses."

"How could I!" he was mock indignant and thought that he probably would dream of Barbara. "Good night, Barbara."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**


	18. LOL (Laughing Out Loud)

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all your reviews! :-) Yeah, it's a cruel fun to keep them apart as long as possible but by now the destination should be clear for everyone.

* * *

 **.**

 **LOL (Laughing Out Loud)**

 **.**

* * *

After a night once more filled with irritating dreams which had not ended where those dreams usually had Barbara started into the next day with a mixture of disturbing feelings. She was agitated by those dreams and very well knew she had to do something about it, felt it would have to be soon and hoped that it would not be awkward, hoped it would be mutual. In the other moment she dismissed those feelings as only resurfacing after a nice call between _just friends_. She dismissed them as being born from tiredness and fed by her fantasy that one day she would find love somewhere. Emphasise somewhere.

Though she was eager and indifferent for that meeting at the same time. _There was this almost kiss, wasn't it?_ After having spent a few more lazy moments still in her bed under the cosy duvet she had a quite late breakfast and met with the colleagues only at ten o'clock in one of the top storey conference rooms. They went through the details of the ceremony, everybody got a leaflet with the procedure and of course was reminded of having their dress uniforms cleaned and being early at the ball for the last instructions.

Barbara secretly made faces to cheer up DC Mackintosh who already was visibly nervous. Poor Mackie was 26 and only had joined the Met as Detective Constable for about two weeks before the 'Black Day' had occurred. Bravely he had kept calm in a situation at another crowded place where nothing actually had happened but still a panic had broken out.

* * *

DI Lynley had been in early this morning, hoping his DS would drop by before she would go upstairs. He also waited in his office after he had grilled Marbone about his relationship to one of the main suspects. Actually to both at the same time, that was what the Detective had learned from him with disgust. Tommy had hoped to have lunch with Barbara after her meeting with some Chief Super Intendents, the Chief Constable and the colleagues but she only had sent a message.

 _= Lunch with Mac and Ange at Crispy Chicken. Care to meet us at 2?_.

Unfortunately he cared a lot but had not had the chance to escape Chief Super Intendent Barlow coming around after the meeting asking him about the case. Since Tommy knew Barbara would be busy and away with Angela in the afternoon he had his hands full with keeping the case in its flow and to bring it to an end.

During the day and without any passion because he had to do everything on his own, well, without Barbara that is, one of the culprits was arrested and the other had fled and then almost died in a car crash and was arrested on the stretcher. DI Lynley indeed was very busy with the following interviews and the paperwork.

* * *

After lunch and after she had run some errands Barbara drove to her flat to meet Angela. Seeing the police reception and her appearance on the stage coming closer the poor Detective Sergeant now had become a bit nervous too. Today all she wanted was to have a nice girl's afternoon with a bit of bubbly and with trying on her uniform, laying a last hand on it if necessary. Barbara had not worn it for ages.

Now she stood in front of her mirror and tried to get a glimpse of her back. Then she moaned in annoyance.

"I'm not wearin' that skirt, Ange." she turned and rolled her eyes at her friend. "I'm a police officer and no doll and I've already wangled some trousers." Exasperated she tried to storm into her bedroom but was stopped by the psychologist.

"Oh, nonono, my dear." Angela turned her friend back in the direction of the mirror. "You _will_ be wearing that skirt, Barbara. You're a woman, and a little bird had twittered in my ear that you'll be the only woman that gets one of those medals. You'll show this pool of testosterone there that even a woman is capable of being an exceptionally good copper. And, what is more important, you will show _him_ your curves tomorrow night. You'll show him your beautiful legs. And this." She juicily grinned and swatted Barbara's bottom. "Now put on that jacket and hope it stretches above your chest."

"Are you crazy?!" Barbara ranted.

"No, but perhaps he needs a little reminder that his Sarge is a woman. Once more: you _will_ be wearing that bloody skirt, Barb. Besides it suits that waisted jacket you have. Better than those trousers."

"Oh, get lost, Ange." Not fully convinced the police woman turned her attention back on her reflection. "Besides I've gained too much hip since I've had it on the last time. Now it's too tight."

"...the better!"

"Oh, you filthy girl, you..." Barbara stuck out her tongue at Angela. "Now, where's your dress? It's time for your own cat-walk..."

* * *

At New Scotland Yard it had been a busy afternoon too. After an enormous mountain of paperwork because of the arrest of three culprits, one of them in hospital which created even more desk work, DI Lynley only came to a halt late this afternoon. He had finished the last ultimately necessary form and looked at his watch.

 _She probably has finished her girl's day by now._ he thought with a smile and imagined two giggling women in Barbara's flat having fun with trying on a dress uniform and - because Angela was no officer but would come to the event too - a fancy dress. Drinking bubbly, giggling. Tommy shook his head.

 _No, probably they would make rude jokes and laugh about it uproariously with tears streaming._ Tommy picked up his mobile that had been silent for the entire afternoon. He was glad that she had such a good friend who kept her from boredom. Even if Angela kept Barbara from calling him. _It couldn't be that I'm jealous, could it!_ Tommy wondered.

Stepping at the window he shook his head. _Ah, this woman..._

Hoping that she had not yet gone to the pub with young Mackie he asked her via text message if she had finished her 'hen's event' and that she could drop by for a moment if she wanted. Perhaps for a coffee?

= _Too bad. Already at pub w Mac :-/_.

The disappointment that crept from his belly into his throat was deeper than Tommy had expected. Somehow he had thought she might drop by at his office, just to say hello. Perhaps for a kiss? _Ha-ha, of course not!_ He looked out into the night. The darkness was not really helpful against the mood he was in. He was exhausted, tired, sad and pitying himself. Anger was on the verge of surfacing when he realised that it only could be that he was angry with himself and that it was useless anyway. Massaging his forehead Tommy realised that despite the events concerning that case today his mood only had lightened when he had texted with Barbara. He only had waited, hoped, yes, even yearned for her words, for a call, for her to drop by, for the chance to have a word with her, for the chance to have a kiss with her. More than he wanted to read her texts he wanted to hear her voice. See her smile. Even her frowning face would be wonderful now. Almost every minute of this day he had spent at least a few seconds of thoughts on Barbara. He felt that he somehow was trapped in his coward inertia. A deep sigh came from his lungs when he rubbed his eyes.

Unbeknownst to his boss DC Nkata had come in. He only had wanted to bring him some files. The door had been wide open but when he had seen him standing there at the window, when he had seen the exhausted and almost desperate expression in the reflection of the window pane he had not even bothered to knock politely. He just closely watched Lynley and wondered if there ever would be a solution to their disastrous relationship. He knew what was on the Inspector's mind. Eventually the DI had spotted the silent intruder to his office in the reflections of the glass and noticed he had been watched, obviously for some time. He did not turn. With a motion of his chin and a quizzical look into the reflecting glass he indicated to Winston that he should say what he wanted here.

"Umm... the files, Sir." Winston made three steps to Lynley's desk and tossed those files there. Then he turned to the window and straightened his shoulders. "With all due respect, Sir."

Tommy groaned and rolled his eyes. He always hated that exordium. Mostly something too true was said afterwards.

"Yes, speak frankly, Winston." he said with a sigh.

"You... umm... you should tell her, Sir." Winston swallowed. "You really should tell her how you feel. As far as I know she feels the same, Sir." And then he got into his stride. "Really. It's almost painful to see you both dancing around each other. You've been lurking about each other for _years_ now. And, my, honestly... lately it had become quite intense and quite obvious that you feel something for each other. Tell. Her." He added another respectful 'Sir'.

Tommy had turned and now stared at the Constable. "How?!" he almost desperately asked.

"Just. She's not that complicated." Winnie said before he turned and left the office. "I'm going home now, Sir. I'm exhausted. You really should tell her, believe me. _She_ never would dare."

* * *

Tommy was glad that his mother already had gone back home to Cornwall so he was alone at home tonight. After that exhausting day he just wanted, just _needed_ to be alone now. Alone with his mobile and the firm intent to call Barbara and just tell her. _Or maybe just ask her what she would say..._

 _Or maybe not._ He almost downed the finger of whisky he had poured himself in one gulp but then madly stared at the bottle before he put it back into the cabinet.

\- _What about a nightcap?_.

He wrote her. Then he just sat in the big armchair in his study, swirling the whisky in its tumbler and toying with his mobile phone waiting for an answer.

= _Gone straight home. Exhausted. Strange day, you bet_. She was not only exhausted, probably she was a bit tipsy too. Young Mackie was a nice and funny young Constable and they had a wonderful evening with light-hearted conversation over a few pints. She only had missed Tommy, she had to admit.

= _Of course would have been nicer if U were there too. U would like Mackie. He admires your Lordship. Rightly so ;-)_ . Had she really just texted this? She should go to bed.

\- _Call?_.

Barbara was tempted to dial his number but then she thought that his question could have meant anything. Did he mean to ask her if she wanted to call him? Did he feel obliged to answer it because he was her friend and friends listen to the other one's problems? Or maybe he wanted to call her and asked for permission first? Or maybe he did not want to talk with her and tried to avoid it by- Barbara shook her confused head and answered briefly.

= _Too tired_.

This could mean anything too.

Tommy was disappointed but would not admit it. They exchanged a few polite messages with information how their separate days had been, the case, the meeting, such, and then, already with a second whisky in the tumbler, he asked about her uniform.

- _Dont forget tomorrows dress code :-D_.

= _How could I? I envy Ange for being allowed to wear a dress_.

- _Would love to see you in one_.

Barbara looked onto the screen with a mixture of horror and amusement. Her mind raced between a fluffy happily ever after ending to her dreams and the stiff upper lot she imagined all of Tommy's family was. Then she shook her head. _As if we ever would attend a ball together..._

= _No way. Uniform will do. But have not worn it for ages. I'm no young constable anymore..._.

- _Good. Me neither. But tailor did good work_.

= _My tailor was four weeks of hard work, exercises and salad_.

That was not entirely true. Actually she had eaten very unhealthy pub grub and junk food if she had eaten at all and not at all regularly. The effort was just the few centimetres she had needed. Though it even was not intended.

- _I bet you look sexy *grins broadly*_.

= _I'm not sexy, not at all in uniform!_.

= _Cheeky bloke!_.

After a while her mobile suddenly beeped with a call she absolutely did not dare to answer. She waited until it stopped again and felt a bit like a teenager rejecting a call from her secret love.

 _\- RRRING?! :-(_ _Yes you are. Even more so in uniform I bet! :-D_.

Finally that was too much. Barbara sat on the edge of her bed and did not know if she should laugh or blush or even hide herself and stay at home tomorrow. She knew she would find some good excuse and if not she knew how she could break her arm and spend the day in A&E. For about half an hour she did not dare and did not know how to answer before she eventually wrote

= _Sorry been in shower. I go to bed now. Get mentally prepared for tomorrow. To be shown around *sigh*_.

- _In uniform_.

= _Yes in uniform. Youre quite obsessed arent you?_.

- _Yes I am! You plan to wear décolleté?_.

Tommy was asking himself where all that cheeky flirting was coming from. Probably it had not been such a good idea to repeat the finger of whisky a third time. At the moment he felt a bit like an intoxicated teenager when he let himself drop onto his bed.

Barbara had chosen to ignore his comments. She had had to end that messaging or she would find no sleep at all tonight.

= _Good night now Sir!_.

Tommy was tempted to go on with this conversation but felt he probably had embarrassed her. Nonetheless he grinned smugly while he tried to imagine his partner in that dress uniform. _Hmmm, I wonder if she'll be wearing skirt or trousers..._

* * *

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* * *

 **...**


	19. Miss Congeniality

**A/N:** The day of that ceremonial thingy has arrived. Good morning everybody!

* * *

 **.**

 **Miss Congeniality**

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* * *

The next day was another casual one for most of the Met's employees. Higher ranks did not need to show up in the office if everything that needed to be handled could be done by lower ranks since almost all of them had to attend that ceremonial thing in the late afternoon and evening so again there was no need for Barbara to get up early. Indulging in the cosiness of her warm bed a bit longer once again and pondering over the previous evening's conversation with... _Tommy..._ she smiled remembering his sweet cheekiness. He had been flirting with her. And it was very much to her liking. Barbara had not yet opened her eyes when her mobile buzzed with another text message but since she was not on call she still debated with herself for another few moments if she should look at it or not. Maybe it was him again now? It was. Barbara smiled again.

\- _Good morning!_ . was all he had written but it was enough to make her fully awake. With her mobile pressed against her chest she thought about what she could answer.

= _Morn. Had no coffee yet_ . Quite nondescript, wasn't it? She could have written something wittier, couldn't she?

 _\- Oh, my grumpy sergeant :-)_.

The realisation that she obviously had been his first thought in the morning, like he had been hers, struck her only when she was bringing her brain into gear under the hot spray of the shower.

* * *

She so wanted to talk to him the entire day and did not know how or what she could say or if it would be appropriate at all to call him. So she just sneaked around her phone which laid on her coffee table, peeping on it from time to time and looking if she might have missed a text or even a call. She could not know that her boss was doing almost the exact same thing - waiting for a message being too afraid to send one himself. Barbara had tidied up her flat a bit and then a bit more and had gone shopping for the next days. A bottle of Prosecco already was waiting in her fridge. Angela would soon arrive and they had planned on preparing for the afternoon together.

When all was done in her flat, her kitchen clean, her living room tidy, her bathroom shining like a diamond and her bed with clean sheets and even herself already showered once more, she finally sat on her sofa in T-shirt and sweat pants with a steamy hot mug of coffee and took the phone. She wrote and deleted several messages before she texted

= _No more excuses or housework keeping me from thinking about that bloody event_.

His answer was there in a minute.

- _Shall I come around and distract you?_.

 _Woohoo!_ Barbara thought. What a suggestion. _He could come around and distract me anytime he wants._

She laughed. Probably there was nothing of her naughty thoughts on his mind. Or at least not as naughty as hers. With burning red ears she sent him the message that Angela would be there in a few moments and that she would help with the last preparations and that they would be going there together.

= _Earlier than you all because we will be instructed for the ceremony_.

= _Again! *rolleyes*_. she added.

- _What a pity. My regards to the doc! CU later_.

Of course Tommy felt a bit disappointed but as much as he would have loved to pick the women up he probably would be the fifth wheel in that round. Resigning he tried to re-focus on his daily paper.

* * *

Later after Barbara had told Angela about their latest text messages the doctor was getting really angry at her friend.

"You're an idiot, Barbara!" she ranted. "You know that you have robbed him of the opportunity to pick you up and to take you out to the ball."

"Of course not." Barbara answered with a stubborn expression. "And it's not a ball. It's just a bloody reception. In uniform, of all things."

"Nonsense! Am I flogging a dead horse, or what?"

"Shut up, Ange, and let me help with your dress."

"No, Barb. Why don't you let him come around? I could just leave back home and manage that dress on my own."

"He only would pick up his Sergeant and bring her to the ceremony."

"Believe me, he would be early to get the chance to admire you in private before leaving. Steal a kiss-"

"Oh, bollocks."

"Don't you think he'd not try it again? What was that romantic evening with your almost kiss? You definitely should have encouraged him."

"I-" Barbara bit her lower lip and frowned. Of course she knew that somehow her friend was right. _But._ "Ah, I guess it was all in my head and just discomforting for him. If he had wanted to kiss me why had he hesitated? And he had enough opportunities those past days."

"Had he? Really?" Sarcasm was dripping off Angela's voice.

Barbara thought about that while she poured two more glasses. It gave Angela the opportunity to go on.

"When should that have been?"

Barbara chewed on her lip. There was no real private moment recently, her friend was absolutely right about that.

"See?" Angela triumphed. "There was no chance at all. You're an idiot, Barbara. If you don't want happiness, then so be it. I won't say anything on that topic anymore."

Shaking her head Angela had taken her glass and left the kitchen into the living room. Barbara followed and almost cried. "Ange, I'm frightened! I'm horrified!"

"Yes, I know, you're a coward." Angela turned up full blast. "You love him, he loves you. It's almost painful to see you both after work. Even _at_ work. It's physically dangerous to be between you - one gets grilled in that sizzling electricity. Has for years. And it became quite lethal recently. Guess what? I withdraw my offer to not say anything more. If you don't do something tonight I'm going to tell him myself."

"You won't!" Barbara blanched.

"Oh, I will, believe me..."

Before Barbara could answer her mobile buzzed. Angela groaned in frustration. "Ah, another text from the Inspector. I will answer that."

"You won't!" Barbara cried out. A hunt for her mobile which still had been in the kitchen began and Angela had won it but fortunately Barbara had ripped it off her hands before the psychologist could text something embarrassing.

- _I think we wear matching clothes tonight ;-) Do you mind?_. he had written.

Barbara laughed and read it out loud. "See? You're constantly on his mind!" Angela just rolled her eyes. "All in your head, my foot, dear Barb!" she muttered under her breath on her way back into the living room.

= _Not at all. But we should stop texting. Need time to get me prepared. Not really used to uniform anymore. Greetings from Ange - shes a real pain in the ass ;-) I dont look forward to that reception only glad youll be there_.

She showed it to Angela and stuck out her tongue. "Is that okay, Doctor?"

"Hm, it will do for now. If you sign it with 'B X' it would be perfect."

"Your foot!" Barbara smiled and hit the send button.

Tommy felt a very foolishly happy thumping of his heart when he read the last line. Whistling he tied his tie and grinned at his reflection in the mirror. He agreed with Barbara that they should stop texting now. But he intended to really talk to her tonight.

* * *

She slipped into the polished shoes she almost only took on for appearances at court where the small heels vanished under the legs of her trousers but made her a little bit taller. She hoped her feet would survive this evening. At least those shoes made her legs appear longer and her back more upright. Or so Angela had said. Let's hope so.

"Are we ready or what?" One last time Barbara shot a glance at her reflection, straightened her shoulders, corrected her tartan cravat, smoothed down the cloth of her skirt above her hips and nodded. The called cab was already waiting outside and she and Angela, grinning broadly at that last little gesture of her friend, had clinked their glasses and downed the last drops of bubbly before they left for the ceremonial function.

"Let the show begin."

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:**...and off we go! ;-)


	20. Police Academy

**A/N:** Of course I am a tease. You should know by now :-D

A ball, a function, a ceremonial event, a reception - who cares? Barbara will get her first medal. Here comes her rehearsal for the event at the royal palace...

* * *

 **.**

 **Police Academy**

 **.**

* * *

At first it was a bit boring for Angela. While she just sat in the entrance hall playing with her mobile and browsing a random magazine for half an hour Barbara and a dozen other colleagues went through the procedure of the ceremonial part of the day as if none of them would have had the brains to remember. Commissioner Lawrence obviously placed value on a perfect evening. It stands to reason that he did not attend the rehearsal.

Eventually the first guests arrived and the hall started to become full of people in uniform and a few civilians.

The 'Dirty Dozen', like Barbara had named it quietly into the ears of young Constable Mackintosh, waited in a corner of the grand hall like a flock of sheep. Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner and all the other high ranks were allowed to wander around free and chat with everybody. It would have looked like a normal cocktail party for some charity thing if there were not so many dress uniforms. A red cocktail dress shone through the mass of dark blue so Barbara always knew where Angela was. Angela was on a mission. Poor Winston.

When all invited colleagues, members and guests had arrived the Commissioner entered the podium and spoke a few words. Behind him on the left and on the right in two lines the 'Justice League' stood. That was a name Mackie had whispered in Barbara's ears. Hillier was among them, some Commanders and some Chief Super Intendents. The Commissioner now nodded at the group of police men and women and announced the first one. Each of them was announced individually by name and a few words were told for what they would be honoured. Each one stepped up the four steps, got his medal pinned on his chest, shook hands with the agency executives, smiled or grinned broadly into the cameras of the Met's own paper. Then they lined in the background.

Three officers would be named as the last, first PC Hirst, then DS Havers, then Inspector Qureshi. All three knew that they would have another event of that kind and then they would shake hands with the Queen herself but since there had not been any official word this was not mentioned here in their announcement. When Barbara shook hands with the Assistant Commissioner he looked a bit as if he had bitten in a very sour lemon. Tommy almost laughed out loud when he saw Sir Hillier's attempt to suppress making a face.

 _She's come further than you ever would have thought, huh?_ Tommy thought not without a touch of pride.

* * *

DI Lynley of course had noticed that today Barbara was wearing that uniform skirt he never had seen before and in a shockingly indecent way he really was pleased with it. _She should wear skirts more often_ , he thought, _or at least something as equally figure-hugging as her dress uniform._ He had watched her for a good while now and then had seen how she nervously had bitten her lower lip when she had stepped onto the podium. He had known that a few seconds later she would inhale deeply and straighten her shoulders. A habit he had seen quite often since she became acting DI. Barbara had been announced (she had inhaled and almost invisibly had straightened her shoulders so Tommy had had to smile) and then had been honoured for 'having made the right decision after good observations of something that had turned out to be less innocent as it might have looked for others'.

With her shining medal on her chest and the certificate in hands she shyly smiled into the camera and then stepped to the right side of the speaker's desk. On the left side PC Hirst already stood. Inspector Qureshi, the boss of an efficient squad team, was the last to get his medal and he was asked to deliver a speech which of course already had been a part of the rehearsal earlier so of course he was prepared. He thanked all colleagues for their good work as a huge and united team and especially thanked all families and friends who support them in the background with understanding and enduring overtime hours and the risks their beloved ones are exposed with.

"Especially our people in the armed units and squad teams. I want to remind you all of the loss of two of our colleagues during those 'Black Days' and ask for a minute of silence for PC Antonia Madden, PC Carl Stewart and each single one of the seven civil victims."

Barbara, who during the speech had mostly tried to focus on something at the back wall of the grand hall to shove aside the feeling to be watched by what felt millions of eyes, eventually saw a familiar dark head of back-combed hair in the first rows. His unruly lock already started to fall. Finally she had found Tommy in the audience. He was watching her with proud broad shoulders. And he looked very, very good in that uniform. When the minute of silence was announced she saw a flash of pain crossing his face.

 _I could have lost you too._ he thought before he lowered his head.

 _It could have ended different._ she thought and the words 'stupidly brave' echoed in her head when she thanked her fate that nothing fatal had happened for them.

"Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, lest we forget. In this context I'd like to advert to the Police Roll of Honour Trust. Especially our civil guests may want to donate something in the collecting tins at the entrances. Thank you all and now please enjoy the evening."

* * *

After the official ceremony, a short thing regarding the number of honourees, there was a little reception with some civil officials shaking hands with the high ranks and the newly honoured being forced to change polite and 'important' words with them, with photographers amongst them taking pictures for the intern paper and the archives and probably also a handful of picked respectable papers and even more polite and important words before they all were dismissed to champagne and canapés.

Barbara was smiling constantly for different reasons. Of course she felt flattered about this ceremonial thing, if she would have admitted it or not, but she also felt flattered by the looks she had noticed Tommy had given her. She had watched from the corners of her eyes how he had watched her from a distance. His eyes had leisurely wandered from her feet up to her face, obviously feeling unobserved and with all the time in the world and a small approving smile twitching the edges of his lips. His ears had turned red when their eyes had met and he quickly had turned away. In fact flattered was not beginning to describe how she felt.

 _It definitely was the right decision to put on that skirt._ she smugly thought and the wonderful feeling of being recognised as a woman spread through her belly. Even though she was a police woman and as a consequence some sort of 'one of the boys' she definitely could get used to it. Especially when the recogniser was His Lordship.

When eventually all guests, honourees and officials had mingled she met him.

"Congratulations, Barbara." Tommy shook her hands and pulled her close, almost air-kissing her cheek if he had not missed it entirely because of Barbara's simultaneous movement and brushed her earlobe with his lips. She heard him sucking in some air and felt goose pimples spreading out across her neck.

"Thank you, Sir." She croaked as an answer. How could he always make her knees go weak so easy? He still had held her hand when Winston approached and clapped a heartfelt prank onto her back, ignorant for what was sizzling here.

Their hands lost contact.

* * *

"Havers!" he laughed, then whistled and pointed at her medal. "You look gorgeous in that uniform and with this new fruit salad. You're turning everybody's head."

"Oh, shut up, Nkata!" Barbara laughed. Oh, yes, she felt so light-hearted today. "I'm just one of the boys, just happen to wear a skirt."

Turning away with a grin in the direction of his DI Winston muttered to her "You're very much one of the _girls_ , Barb, believe me!"

The DC took a glass of champagne from the passing waiter and gave it to her. "Here's to the boys!" he laughed, clinked glasses with her and then went away with some colleagues. He was replaced by other congratulators. Tommy almost felt the good old jealous feeling creeping down his neck if Barbara would not have been so entirely relaxed and seemingly happy. Despite one or the other uncertain glance at him or just a few shy smiles in his direction she almost ignored him though he was never far away from her. In fact he almost continually stood right next to her while she was continually surrounded by other participants of the reception.

Tommy managed to bring her another glass of champagne and held her glass when she tried to eat some of those deliciously sweet and tiny chocolaty things with grace but failing as she did so, with fingers and lips slightly covered with the melted dark chocolate, and therefore loudly laughing about herself and easily complaining with others about those modern and stylish 'pieces of eat-art'. An idea from deep down in the gutter flashed through his mind when Barbara unceremoniously licked her fingers before wiping them with a serviette. While she still mock ranted that they should serve those with cutlery Tommy cleared his throat and washed his thoughts down with a sip from Barbara's champagne.

 _Barbara will make a good figure as Lady A._ Tommy suddenly thought when her attention and she herself had been politely drawn off by a few colleagues and she had unexpectedly graciously excused herself towards him and a civil representative of the Police Roll of Honour Trust. Leaving her glass to his hands he watched her back while she happily sauntered away.

 _A very good figure._ Once more Tommy's eyes went from her bottom to her calves and to her feet in obviously not often worn shoes with not too high heels. He grinned. Those shoes definitely were not the shoes the police outfitter provided female officers with. He could not keep his eyes from returning to her bottom and then, since she turned, across her waist and her chest where he let them linger for a while on the medal (yeah, right, the medal...), and further up to her hair which was pinned in a chignon hairstyle tonight. _Probably Ange's work._ He wondered how much arm-twisting had been necessary to convince her of having something else than her usual pony tail. _Oh, she will make an exceptionally good figure I believe. Different in mind though than the entire rest of my lot but, I have no doubt, genuine and honest._ With happiness dancing in his belly the Earl of Asherton watched her face radiating delight and amusement with Mackie and other young colleagues who listened carefully to her telling them some funny story. When she caught his eye and mirrored his smile a little flustered he noticed that he already had rushed forward with his thoughts. He had not yet spoken to her about his feelings, had not yet asked how she feels about him, if she possibly was mirroring his love for her. There had not yet been the long needed confrontation.

 _And I already think of marriage._ Tommy almost chuckled. _I should_ talk _with her first._

* * *

While he was still talking with a few of the armed squad members Tommy's mind still had wandered into other spheres so he smiled apologetically and took out his mobile. Pretending to read a text and then answer it he sent her a short text message.

- _We have to talk_.

He was not fully following the ongoing conversation between the police men around him but pondered on the short and mistakable text he had just sent her. It really was not to his full satisfaction so he let another text follow just a few minutes later.

- _In fact . I . need . to talk with you_.

Barbara, standing just a few yards away, had read his messages and, next to her amazement about his wording, wondered why he was not simply coming over to her. While texting an answer she searched for her boss and then locked eyes with him when she hit the send button.

= _Sir? We're in the same room..._.

- _Not here_.

Was he asking her to leave with him now? Her eyebrows furrowed when Barbara sent him a quizzical expression. In that moment Angela came around and gave her a triumphant grin.

"Ah, you're having one of your silent conversations again!"

Barbara turned to the psychologist searching for words with an irritated expression. "Actually we've talked via text message..." Even to her own ears it sounded quite ridiculous.

"Teenagers! Go and _talk_ to him, you stupid." Angela rolled her eyes and turned and over her shoulder she added "Or I'll do it for you!" She left the baffled Sergeant in the direction of Winston. The psycho analyst was mercilessly flirting with the Constable who looked smashingly gorgeous in his uniform. _So is Tommy!_ Barbara thought and returned her eyes on him. Whatever he wanted to talk about had to wait because right at the moment he was trapped in between the whole line of high ranks. Their Chief Super Intendent Barlow was there and Sir Hillier and even Commissioner Lawrence.

* * *

What she could not hear nor know was that they were talking about the department in general, Lynley's team and Barbara in particular. What a good relationship they had, how very successful they had been working for years now, what a deep understanding of each other they had, how their minds worked together and towards each other and that they, like twins, obviously always knew what the other would do, yet still both were having their own different opinions and such. Thinking of his Sergeant Tommy suddenly felt the meanwhile quite familiar but very unbrotherly buzzing in his belly and realised that he was too deep in love with his sergeant to deny it. In fact he better had to hide it in front of his superiors.

Then once more the realisation that he had been close to losing her hit him like a shot and he searched for her again. Barbara caught his stare across the room and he nodded with a smile. Noticing him in return her face visibly had softened so his smile even grew a bit more lovingly. Winston's words sprang to his mind and suddenly he had a lump in his throat. He could not _just_ go over and declare himself, could he? In reality it was not that uncomplicated at all though all he wanted to do was exactly this.

 _And I_ should _because_ she _never would._ he thought. Their eyes still were locked and he could swear there was a rosy touch on her cheeks. Commissioner Lawrence broke the spell (and his boring monologue) with a heartily clap on his shoulders. "Lynley, it's a really good team, you have!"

The smile Barbara had received from him in that moment almost had made her knees collapse.

* * *

 **.**

* * *

 **...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Yes, yes, they're spiraling closer...


	21. Chocolat

**A/N:** Again thanks for all your reviews! :-) **  
**

* * *

 **.**

 **Chocolat**

 **.**

* * *

She had been watching him for quite some time now.

When they first had worked together Barbara really was annoyed by the nonchalance he could display in every moment concerning 'his lot', concerning functions like this or simple meetings with upper class persons. Only later she had learned that he was not playing it. It was a part of him - beaten into him throughout long years of conservative education, but he was naturally practising it. And how she first had hated his ever so fitting clothes. He always had been the exact opposite to her. Thinking back, yes, she obviously had changed a bit, and so had he. She was not too often wearing oversized jumpers and baggy trousers anymore now but he in return more often appeared at work in blue jeans. A crisp shirt, tie and jacket of course always accompanied it.

Or he was in uniform, like at the moment. She had seen him in it before just once when he had to attend some state funeral but did not want because he felt once more used only because of his noble birth, forced into the event by Sir Hillier who liked to bath in his 'glorious sun' - Lynley had rolled his eyes quoting the Assistant Commissioner but had gone there anyway. You do not reject such an invitation. But it brought the chance for Barbara to see him in this dashing clothing. Fitting every curve of his body which had grown slightly more adult, so to say, of course re-tailored by a professional and probably not his first one anymore, not like her own old uniform which still was like it had been once she got it bought. But nowadays she only teased him for all of that, she was not jealous anymore and her prejudice had lessened enormously if not disappeared at all. And by the way, did I already mention that he looked entirely good today? His hair cut recently, slightly grey at the temples, with the unruly lock - oh, Barbara would love to push it back sometime... his shoulders still straight and broad, his backside unfortunately hidden under the jacket, shoes shining, pips beaming, eyes smiling... Despite the fact that she adored him as a person she also could get lost in the view of that hunk of a man and involuntarily had to sigh.

"Stop undressing him!" Angela had appeared out of nowhere and whispering those words into her ear from behind made Barbara wince. And immediately blush.

"I'm not undressing him, Ange!" she grumbled in reply though she just felt caught unawares and could not be angry with her ever so observant psycho friend.

"Well, at least you try to eat him with your eyes - with or without this gorgeously fitting uniform."

"Oh, nothing like that!" came the weak reply.

"But he's a delicious Cornish pastry, isn't he?" Angela chuckled. "Or one of those sweet chocolaty pieces of eat-art they had passed around earlier? Go, take a bite." She winked.

"Gosh!" It was more ardent than Barbara had intended to sound. Oh, yes, he looked delicious. "Tommy-" at that she blushed and averted her eyes. "He's no piece of food..."

"Barb?" Rolling her eyes Angela placed her hands on her friend's shoulders and turned Barbara's face to look her straight in the eyes. "That thing between you is so bloody serious!"

"I know..." Barbara breathed somehow despairingly.

"Then, for all deities' sake, make a step forward!" Trying to reassure her in a way Angela nudged her elbow but Barbara could not take her eyes off of him.

 _If I only knew how..._

* * *

Later that afternoon Tommy stood in a round once more with Winston and others when Barbara and Angela approached, the resolute woman in the red dress actually steering the Sergeant at her elbow to the group of men. They all chatted lightly though probably everybody sensed the tension between the Inspector and the Sergeant. Probably everybody saw the undeniable long looks between them too. Probably everybody saw the small accidental but nonetheless welcomed touches of their hands. And at least Angela saw the movement of his fingers when he kept the involuntary contact for a little longer by stroking the back of Barbara's hand with his knuckles which made her stretch her fingers and briefly press them against his in return. The psychoanalyst almost cried 'grab it!' in their direction.

That both had stopped breathing in those few seconds also did not slip Angela's attention so she had to hide her chuckle behind the rim of her glass. Winston had seen it too and grinned at his psycho-analyst conspirator. Eventually, making an almost invisible motion with his head towards Barbara, Winston, who already had had one or the other champagne with Angela, gave his boss an intense glare saying without words he should finally say or do something to the positively glowing woman who stood right next to him but when Lynley still made no more moves at all and still kept silent with just another loving look at her Winston only could roll his eyes and turn away leaving them with a quiet but frustrated groan. Angela followed him on the heel.

Since Barbara had run out of champagne Tommy went to fetch another one for her. On his way to the bar he met Hillier and Lawrence once more who engaged him in another conversation.

* * *

Coming back to Barbara he finally had a moment alone with her since the others had turned their attention to the group of special force's boys who were telling something incredibly adventurous. Though his stomach had made a joyful flip when their hands brushed on her third glass of expensive bubbly his mind was not really focussed on what he had wanted to tell her concerning those emotions because he had news from their superiors and so he just talked about the upcoming promotions in their department, for example that Winston would become Sergeant. And he also had another special piece of news for her.

"You know what, Barbara, I'm becoming DCI soon." Barbara's only thought was that they probably would not be separated in that case. "For my, well, _our_ success over the years I've been a simple DI for too long now. Like you've been a Sergeant for too much time without climbing the ladder. And next year Dickinson will resign so Hillier had informed me that it's most likely that I will even become Super Intendent not very much later. In that case you will become the next DI Lynley, so-"

Tommy stopped abruptly and held his breath. _It's not meant that way!_

Barbara's eyes turned big.

"Umm... Well... I mean..." With red hot flashing ears Tommy stuttered searching for words.

"What?!" As if shaking that special thought away Barbara shook her head. _He had not meant it_ that _way, Barb, cool down!_

Tommy knew he had to explain what had slipped his lips.

"I mean, you've passed your exams quite a while ago, haven't you? So _you_ will become the DI that takes over my team." He gave her a lopsided grin and hoped she would eat this.

"What?" Of course she believed his explanation because she was sure he never could have meant what it also could have implied but she still did not believe this other thing - _Barbara Havers a real DI? Well, haha..._ Though she had played acting DI for quite a while now, getting a real, an official promotion still was strange. "DI? Me? When?"

"Well... on Monday...?"

"What the... Are you crazy?!" Was he actually telling her what she thought he did? "When did you plan to ask _me_?!"

* * *

 _As soon as possible._ he involuntarily thought and had everything but her promotion in mind with that. Between burning red ears his eyes twinkled and the smile that spread across his face could not be suppressed at all. Tommy cleared his throat. Back to topic!

"Well, actually you have no real options, Barbara, it's time for you to move on. You just have to sign the papers." His grin even grew wider. "Since it's only DCI for me first we'll stay a team for at least one year so you have the chance to get adjusted. You won't get rid of me so soon." He winked at Barbara who still looked a bit shocked.

"And whatever else will come when they heaved me onto the Super Intendent's chair, I will always be there, just one storey above you. And we still will go for a pint after work. The occasional lunch or dinner will still cross your way and... maybe even more? They're giving _A Midsummer Night's Dream_ in London at the moment. Mother has tickets and I would love to go with you." Despite a little trembling his hand managed a soft stroke on her upper arm emphasising that he had meant what he had said.

"You won't buy me with theatre tickets, Sir, you know that." Slowly she tried to feel happy. He had said that they would not work separated, hadn't he?

"Alright. Then maybe a nice night at the cinema?" When he looked at her now his eyes were so teasingly soft that her knees went weak again. "Some nice action film with Vin Diesel perhaps?"

There was no need anymore to make it tempting for Barbara, she already had given in and was smiling happily at her boss' face. "Mmmh, I may consider a positive answer but don't be too sure. I'm still angry that you bunch of men have decided my future. Haven't you considered that I might not _want_ to become a DI? Maybe I just refuse to accept that promotion?" Nonetheless her grin already was telling of her approval.

A loud laugh came from Tommy. "Oh, Barbara, I'm glad that our Queen doesn't know how insubordinate you could be sometimes."

It made Barbara smile. "I hope you won't tell her, Tommy-" Recognising that she had called him by his given name she stopped briefly like she always did in those moments. Tommy loved those little pauses. "-when you see her next time for dinner."

"Well, probably _you_ 'll meet her earlier. And next time when _we_ go out for dinner I only see you, Barbara."

Now was the moment when he finally could tell her, quietly of course because they still were not alone in here, that they should leave now because he had to tell her something extraordinarily important regarding the previous months and their relationship which really could be less complicated than it appeared. He had to tell her _something_.

Unfortunately it was not yet possible.

* * *

They only shared a shy smile when they had to open the conversation round to two approaching colleagues who wanted to chat with Barbara. Their hands brushed ever so lightly again but now Tommy finally screwed up his courage and gently curled his fingers around hers. If he could not get her out of here to talk to her he had to try and show it without words. After squeezing it once he firmly held her hand, giving her a resolved look saying that he won't let her go, that he won't hide anything at all and that in fact he knew he was clearly ignoring that it may look strange for a DI and his Sergeant to hold hands.

It was more than just holding hands. It was like a communication between lovers. When the first moment of positive shock was gone Barbara adjusted her fingers into his hand. In the end it was easy and thanks to some bubbly at home and three glasses of champagne on an almost empty stomach she did not care too much about how it may look to others. He was holding her hand - that was all that mattered. And it felt so natural. First they only clung to each other firmly but then, when Tommy started to trace soft circles on the back of her hand with the tips of his fingers, Barbara relaxed her grip too. A small smile, only visible for the good observer, played around the edges of their lips when their eyes confirmed what their hands were doing.

An electrical sizzling went up her veins when Tommy gently tickled her inner wrist with his thumb and Barbara, now even feeling that wonderful tickle in her stomach too, answered with her little finger stroking the side of his hand. His eyes turned dark with hooded desire when he felt it. He gave her a deep look which had nothing to do with the verbal conversation they had with the group of people around them about something he had forgotten in the second it had been said. They only vaguely recognised that Winston and Angela, clinging to his arm, had joined the round.

 _Let me make you feel how intense I love you!_ his eyes beamed at her while Barbara said something witty to Angela and later could not remember what it was because of the distraction Tommy's middle finger caused tracing a tender line across the inner side of her hand. Before her eyes - and her voice - would betray her in front of the clever psychoanalyst she turned her face back to him so he was the only one to see the thrill burning in her eyes.

 _You wouldn't believe how much I love you!_ her whole face radiated up to his. Barbara was in a complete turmoil and felt like she would explode in a minute. This could go on forever, she thought but the endearments ended when Tommy finally interlaced his fingers with hers and kept them this way for the rest of the time they were attending this reception. It turned quite short.

* * *

They needed to leave. They needed to talk. They needed to proceed what their hands had begun. The surrounding conversation had reached their minds only in a blur somehow anyway.

 _If we're not leaving in an instant I'm going to kiss you right here in front of everybody!_ His glare did not even try to hide his covetous feelings.

Twenty minutes after they had started the tentative exploration of their hands they looked at each other in the middle of the small talk round with Angela, Winnie and three men of an armed squad team and exchanged another one of their well-known silent communications they had become quite good at recently. It had saved their lives, it even had saved their careers. Though they were not entirely familiar with the new vocabulary they agreed on leaving right now. Both knew that they really had to talk about _something_ and with an almost invisible nod Tommy yielded the chance to Barbara to announce their leave.

"It's time. I'm leaving now." she simply said with a polite smile, meant for all but distinctively spoken in his direction, her look a mixture of anticipation and panic and the question how they could leave together without raising suspicion.

"Oh, I'm coming along." he added casually smiling and they bid their simple goodbyes into the round. That was easy.

Winston nodded complacent and almost had said that it was about time. Angela just grinned the naughtiest smile she was capable of. She had a hard time not to wish them fun.

DI Lynley and DS Havers were the topic of the evening when they had left the event - still holding hands.

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 **...**

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 **A/N:** NP himself was as big a Barbara/Tommy shipper as probably anyone in the fandom and he once had declared that he would have ended ILM with Lynley and Havers holding hands and walking into the sunset. That's what I had in mind here... :-D


	22. Final Destination

**A/N:** ILM might have ended where ch. 21 ended, but not _my_ story! Seriously - what the hell are you thinking of me?! Tsk... By the way, what do you think could it mean when there are three TBC dots at the end of the chapter and the story was not yet marked as 'complete' ? ;-) OF COURSE there is another chapter...

* * *

 **.**

 **Final Destination**

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* * *

"I had to leave this... audience." he nearly choked on his emotions, his eyes slowly adjusting to the almost glaring lights in the corridor outside the more warmly lit grand hall. Tommy and Barbara walked to the cloak room where they were getting their hats back. In front of the mirror the Inspector put on his peaked cap and turned back to the woman in uniform who was unconfidently biting her lower lip. Involuntarily he straightened his back to look as good and strong for her as possible. Yes, of course he made a bit of a show for her but it only was provoked by the barely stifled unseemly longing looks she gave him - conscious or unconscious he did not care. Barbara almost sighed loud because he really _did_ look good in full uniform. She had seen him once in uniform but not this way. This was a view Barbara never had the chance to adore but she did it now and she did so unhidden. Some unfamiliar boldness gave her the strength not only to not look away but instead to hold his placid gaze even though she was deeply blushing. He looked dashingly good and Barbara willed him to kiss her right then. His fond smile told her that he wanted nothing but exactly this though not exactly in front of the cheekily prying eyes of the cloakroom attendant.

"Shall we?" His voice was so soft that it sounded for Barbara like a gentle invitation to make love. Her legs like jelly and her voice gone Barbara only could nod so Tommy took her hand again and together they turned to walk straight to the exit of the building. Since she always had disliked it anyway Barbara had not bothered to put on her own bowler. Plus she needed something for her other hand to take hold on so she nervously almost crumpled its brim.

"I really need to talk with you, Barbara." Tommy hoarsely said. A bit of shaky hesitancy had creeped into his own voice. This, what was going on here and now, was what he had wanted for so long but maybe all this was a bit too soon or too fast or too _whatever_ for Barbara. His irrational mind totally ignored the fact that they had held hands in the grand hall like it was some foreplay to something emotionally bigger.

"About what?" Her question was almost inaudible. She could hardly breathe and still was asking herself when she would wake up from this dream. She was not really walking away from that reception, was she? With _him_ , hand in hand, sharing fond looks full of slowly growing certainty.

The man of her dreams raised their linked fingers and breathed a kiss on the back of her hand. "About this."

"Ah?" Barbara looked up at him and hesitantly tried to smile when she felt him squeezing her hand.

"Yes, but not here-" With his free hand he made a vague gesture pointing at the bright lights and the dull plain walls. "...and not now. I'd like to leave here first, go somewhere more familiar, more... comfortable. I have so much to say, there are too many details I have to tell you."

"Mmh... okay...?"

* * *

Without letting go of the other one's hand they simultaneously opened the double doors of the exit. The ceremonial event had started in the afternoon and they had left quite early so additionally due to the time of year it still was not really dark outside. Down the road was an alley of trees and since this venue was a bit out of the city in a huge park there were no buildings disturbing the view. The sun was just about to set between the trees. In the dark red light of the last sunbeams they stepped down the stairs together and walked hand in hand towards the short row of already waiting cars.

Tommy sighed dramatically before he kissed her hand again. "I so want to stop dreaming of you."

The quizzical look that he received instead of a proper reply made him smile. He needed to explain so much and to tell her so much and to show her how much he loved her. Seven days a week would be too less. A lifetime could be a start. If Barbara would want to listen to him, that is.

"I've dreamed of you too much for too long now and I... I want you to become a reality." Though he had not wanted to tell her romantic things right then right there he could not stop himself from saying it in the dark orange beams of the sun which made her hair glow like fire. Barbara swallowed hard. Was he really declaring himself? She could not quite believe it but he was. "I want _us_ to become a reality, Barbara..."

His husky voice still had carried that hint of hesitancy when he opened the door of the taxi. Barbara still had not said anything about it at all though she would have loved to scream from the top of her lungs what she felt for Tommy.

Their most positive anticipation, the meanwhile undeniable feelings towards each other made the air between them literally sizzle electrified.

* * *

Outside the old building Tommy had led her to one of the waiting cabs and still had not let go of her hand, both still had not said too much either. So often he had dreamed of holding hands and walking into the sunset with her and now he actually did it. The Earl of Asherton could have leaped for joy.

Equally joyful but anxious all the same Barbara felt her heart nervously thumping in her throat. She was not capable of speaking at all and breathing was hard. They had easily escaped the reception and somehow their annoying elephant from the previous weeks had left the room too but fortunately in another direction. Was it so easy? Simply take hold of each other's hands and let it flow from then on? Her belly cringed, from fear or from pleasant anticipation or probably from both, she still was not sure. Barbara only smiled uncertain of what to do or what to say or even what was expected from her when Tommy held the car door open now and let her step into the cab first. She moved over to the other side and he had taken off his cap and climbed in after her, immediately searching for her hand again. Making her skin tickle once more he placed another soft kiss on her hand and looked at her in the most love-struck way a man ever had looked at her.

"Barbara?" he whispered. He only wanted to kiss her. Now, here in the privacy of the taxi cab. Was not everything that had happened in the last thirty minutes leading to this? Was not everything that had happened even in the last year leading to this?

"Yah?" she breathed almost inaudible. Her big eyes fiercely told him he should finally kiss her. Right now. They really could talk later, couldn't they? In the privacy of the taxi cab she suddenly felt another thing between them - sexual tension. Barbara simply wanted this man and she could barely hide it. She visibly swallowed.

And so he said nothing more. They were just leaning into each other. Time and space around them blurred. Their eyes were open, looking reassuring, demanding, needing and loving, until they were so close that they could feel each other's breath on their faces. Barbara's heart still raced and Tommy probably heard it because he squeezed her hand affirmative. When their lips finally were so close that they could feel the warmth of the other, when they finally were almost touching, when their eyes finally closed, that was the moment when the driver turned backwards and addressed the couple with a bored, languid tone in his voice.

"Destination?"

* * *

 _Gosh, we're still not alone!_ Barbara jerked away from Tommy and blushed deeper than before. She could not get too far away from him though, since his arm already had found its way around her waist holding her close to his steadily heaving chest. He smiled. He was so sure of all of this now that he would not let himself be disturbed by anything or anyone, not even a hurricane or the Queen herself, but of course such an observer was too much for the fragile construction of Barbara's confidence. Tommy cupped her cheek and brushed his thumb over her lips and cheek. His eyes told her to let go and ignore the driver, to relax and please continue what was going to happen a few seconds ago. Barbara's face suddenly broke out into a wide happy yet still sheepish grin. Oh, yes, this was truly happening!

"Home." Barbara softly said and willingly let Tommy pull her abruptly close again blessing her with a long firm and desirous kiss. His lips were warmer than she ever could have imagined and he pressed them onto hers with a softness she had not expected at all. Immediatels she could not help opening her mouth inviting him for more. While his arms pulled her even closer into his chest as if her body was not already pressing against him, her hands not already searching for something to crunch and finding it in the cloth of his lapels, that is when they literally _melted_ into each other his tongue tenderly lured hers out until they circled around each other, not knowing in whose mouth they actually were playing their gently wrestling game of desire. Breathing was the least on their minds so when they broke apart both heavily panted.

Barbara hung in Tommy's arms and felt entirely dissolved. A content smile laid on her kiss swollen lips and looking in his eyes she could only comment their moment with a breathed "Oh, wow..." before she closed her eyes and let him give her another soft kiss.

"One thing I need to say right now, Barbara." he said and needed to close the distance between their faces for a brief second once more.

"I love you." His lips were on hers before she could even process what he had said, let alone answer.

Time and space had come to a halt around them. Finally.

Who cared about a bloody taxi driver rolling his eyes...

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 **A/N:** Thanks for your patience and all your reviews.


	23. Title Story

**This is not another chapter!**

* * *

For those of you who want to know a bit of chapter title films (or series). Here is some information. As I told you before the titles have nothing or at least not much to do with the chapters.

* * *

 **Story title:**

* * *

 **Psycho**

USA, 1960 - with Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles

A motel, a psychopath, a mother, and THE horrible shower scene...

* * *

 **Chapter titles:**

* * *

 **Gone With The Wind**

USA, 1939 - with Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

Set in the 19th-century American South, the film tells the epic story of Scarlett O'Hara, the strong-willed daughter of a Georgia plantation owner. It's an epic-historical-romance film *yawns*

* * *

 **Sleepy Hollow**

USA/Germany, 1999 - with Johnny Depp, Christina Ricci, Christopher Walken, Miranda Richardson, Michael Gough, Christopher Lee

Creepy investigations in a creepy cosy village in creepy woods plus a creepy headless horseman - supernatural, horrific, funny and romantic. And creepy.

* * *

 **Home Improvement**

USA, 1991-99, TV sitcom - with Tim Allen, Patricia Richardson, Earl Hindman, Jonathan Taylor Thomas

The Taylor family, a home improvement show in the show, the best-hidden always present neighbour and the Binford 40,000 Super Tool! Something will be destroyed in every show.

* * *

 **A Game Of Shadows**

UK/USA, 2011 - with Robert Downey jr, Jude Law, Rachel McAdams, Eddie Marsan

Sherlock Holmes, Dr. John Watson, Professor James Moriarty - a nice detective story around the globe.

* * *

 **The Haunted**

USA, 1991 - with Sally Kirkland

A made-for-TV haunted house film.

* * *

 **Dirty Dancing**

USA, 1987 - with Patrick Swayze, Jennifer Grey, Jerry Orbach, Cynthia Rhodes

A romantic dance and music film playing in 1963 - everything a film for a teenage girl needs. I know one who has seen it 5 times at the cinema and countless times on TV...

* * *

 **Key Largo**

USA, 1948 - with Lauren Bacall, Humphrey Bogart, Edward G. Robinson

A Hotel in Key Largo, Florida, a hurricane, a gangster and the most wonderful pairing Bogart/Bacall.

* * *

 **Niagara**

USA, 1953 - with Marily Monroe, Joseph Cotten

A few romantic murders, confusions and dark relationships at the Niagara Falls - I think the darkest film with MM.

* * *

 **Breakfast At Tiffany's**

USA, 1961 - with Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Mickey Rooney, Martin Balsam

Extremely excessive party-girl Holly Golightly is more fragile than one would think first. The writer Paul Varjak, her neighbour, is her knight in shining armour and sees behind her facade. Brilliant and sweet. And romantic.

* * *

 **Charade**

USA, 1963 - with Cary Grant, Audrey Hepburn, Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, James Coburn

Paris, a robbery, a widow, her rescuer, twists, turns, hide and seek, the solution and love.

* * *

 **About A Boy**

UK, France, USA, 2002 - with Hugh Grant, Toni Colette, Nicholas Hoult, Sharon Small

A financially independent bachelor meets a boy (with a crazy mother) who turns his whole life upside down and gives him something to think about. A strange but important friendship and development for both.

* * *

 **You've Got Mail**

USA, 1998 - with Meg Ryan, Tom Hanks

Small bookshop versus giant book store, a woman, a man, E-mails, love.

* * *

 **The Fast And The Furious**

 **2 Fast 2 Furious**

USA, 2001 ff - with Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Eva Mendez

Action films, which center around illegal street racing and heists. *yawns*

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 **Day & Night**

USA, 2010 - Pixar animated short film - you HAVE to watch it on youtube!

What wikipedia says: Day and Night meet and at first are uneasy about each other. They are dismissive of each other because each perceives the other as being different, and their prejudices result in a physical altercation between the two. However, as the characters discover the many fascinating events that occur in each other, they learn to appreciate them, and learn to like one another. At the end of the film, the Sun descends in Day and rises in Night, so that when the Sun is at the same height above the horizon in both, both characters appear to be identical. As the Sun continues its course, Day becomes Night, and Night becomes Day.

* * *

 **All Creatures Great And Small**

UK, 1978-90, BBC TV-series - with Christopher Timothy, Robert Hardy, Peter Davison

Stories based on the books of the British veterinary surgeon Alf Wight, who wrote under the pseudonym James Herriot. Playing in the Yorkshire Dales, lots of scenery porn and brilliantly funny!

* * *

 **The Horse Whisperer**

USA, 1998 - with Robert Redford, Kristin Scott Thomas, Scarlett Johansson

Horses... somewhere inbetween a story I really can't remember anymore *yawns* ;-)

* * *

 **LOL (Laughing Out Loud)**

France, 2008/09 - with Sophie Marceau

A teenager girl story - growing up, having problems, having parents, experiencing first love, etc.

* * *

 **Miss Congeniality**

USA, 2000 - with Sandra Bullock, Michael Caine, Candice Bergen, William Shatner

A police woman goes undercover in the glittering world of beauty queens to solve a crime.

* * *

 **Police Academy**

USA, 1984 - with Steve Guttenberg, Kim Cattrall, Bubba Smith, George Gaynes

Comedy film about a police academy - slapstick and a bit of fun.

* * *

 **Chocolat**

UK, USA, 2000 - with Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina, Leslie Caron

Sinfully Delicious - just watch it and you want some chocolatey sins. Just watch it. Romance, chocolate, heartwarmingness.

* * *

 **Final Destination**

USA, 2000 - with Devon Sawa, Ali Larter, Kerr Smith, Tony Todd

A teenager cheats death after foreseeing a plane explosion. He leaves the plane with some of his friends before the explosion occurs - later Death one by one takes the lives of those who should have died there.


End file.
